Charpia named new head football coach
After long-time head coach Leroy Ryals was dismissed following a disappointing 0-10 season, Cedar Shoals has announced the hiring of Rusty Charpia as the new head football coach.
“I am looking forward to the opportunity to coach the young men at Cedar Shoals High,” Charpia said in a press release. “I know of the rich football history from my former teammates at Clemson who played here. I can’t wait to get started toward making Jaguar football a championship program again.”
Though there were many promising candidates in the head coach hiring process, athletic director L’Dreco Thomas was particularly impressed with Charpia.
“Coach Charpia separated himself from the rest with his football resume, his energy, and his passion for coaching kids. He has taken programs that were similar to where we are and built them into winners. His passion to build Cedar Shoals into a top program in Georgia was evident, and his plan to do so was clear,” Thomas said in a press release.
Rusty Charpia has coached several sports spanning over 30 years, including football, baseball, and track and field. Charpia comes from Brookland-Cayce High School in Cayce, South Carolina, where he has been the head football coach and athletic director since 2011. During his tenure, Charpia was the school’s winningest head coach, with over 90 wins, won five region titles, and led the bearcats to three Lower State championship games. In the 23-24 season, Charpia’s Bearcats went 11-3, finishing first in 4A Region 4 and making it to the final four of the South Carolina State Championships before losing to Camden High School. However, in his last season, the team went 4-7 and finished fourth in the region. Charpia had been told last month that he would not return as Brookland-Cayce’s football coach and athletic director.
During his time as a coach there, more than 60 of Charpia’s football players signed college scholarships. Cedar Shoals principal Dr. Makeba Clark is excited to see the impact Charpia brings to the Jags on and off the field.
“Coach Charpia brings the energy and fire we need to reconnect our community with Jag football. With his experience in building programs with similar challenges, he’s ready to lead with determination and vision. As he said himself, he loves a challenge, and we believe he is committed to developing not just great athletes, but great young men. We can’t wait to see the impact he makes both on and off the field,” Clark said in the press release.
In addition to Charpia’s time as a high school coach, he also had stints on the sidelines at the University of Arkansas and the University of Georgia as a graduate assistant coach.
Prior to his time coaching, Charpia played both baseball and football at Clemson University. Charpia earned all-conference honors in baseball during his time at Clemson. He was then drafted by the Milwuakee Brewers in the 38th round of the 1989 MLB Amateur Draft and went on to play professionally within the Milwaukee Brewers minor league organization before moving on to coaching.
Looking ahead to next season, junior defensive back Santana Moreau is looking forward to what Charpia will bring to the program.
“I’m excited to see what he’s going to bring to the team and how he’s going to change us for the better. We’re going to lock in during the offseason and take lifting seriously,” Moreau said.
Additionally, sophomore Mollie Osborne is excited to attend more football games next season and support the football team.
“While coach Ryals was a funny guy and I’m sad to see him leave, I think it’ll be a good year to have a new coach so that our team can be better and bring more school spirit,” Osborne said.
