Football coach Scott Earley leaving Westside to lead SC coaches association

Former Westside football coach Scott Earley has traded in his whistle for a suit and tie. Last week Earley was named the next executive director of the South Carolina Athletics Coaches Association (SCACA).

Earley, who's coming off a playoff run with Westside, conceded this opportunity came at an unexpected time. But he's been training for this position for more than 20 years, and he couldn't turn it down.

"The timing was not great for me," Earley said. "But it's one of these jobs that if you pass on it, it doesn't come along again for another 20 years. So, I felt like it was a calling for me."

Earley has been heavily involved with the SCACA and the Touchstone Energy Bowl since 2000. He has done everything in the association from folding envelopes to giving Hall of Fame speeches. Through the years he worked under current executive director Shell Dula and former SCACA executive director Keith Richardson to prepare for this role, and he considers both mentors.

Earley knows he's leaving a good situation at Westside. The Rams just concluded a 10-3 season with an extremely talented quarterback in sophomore Cutter Woods and All-Area receiver Josh Williams expected to return next year. If it was on his terms, Earley would've coached Westside another two years until he could fully retire and then become the executive director. But the opportunity couldn't wait.

"It was one of those things where, you know, it's not on my time, it's on God's time," Earley said. "I was very blessed and fortunate to be unanimously selected to be in this very impactful position. It's kind of like going from a whistle to a suit and tie. At this point in my career, I'm very comfortable and ready to do that."

As executive director, Earley will have an extensive list of responsibilities and will work hand in hand with the South Carolina High School League to create a "united front."

His first plan of action is to increase diversity in the association's hierarchy to ensure everybody has a say in the decision-making process.

"Whether you're A or AAAAA, whether you're at Dorman or McBee, I think your vote should count the same," Earley said. "You should have a voice, and that's going to be the first issue I'm going to try to attack and create a different kind of system where everybody feels they truly have a voice."

While looking ahead to his new career, Earley accepts he may never coach football again and is proud to retire his whistle as a Ram. Through nine seasons at Westside, Earley finished with a record of 67-33. During his 21 seasons as a high school football coach in South Carolina that included stops at Myrtle Beach, Chapin and Lexington, Earley accrued a record of 176-84 and won a state championship at Myrtle Beach.

"I didn't leave Westside to go to another school, I left Westside to go to a whole different job and type of employment," Earley said. "It's a unique situation. And I guess you could say I will officially retire as a Ram. And that's something I take pride in. The last nine-and-a-half, 10 years, we feel like we've left it a whole lot better than we found it."

Westside athletic director Jeremy West confirmed there isn't a new football coach in place yet and that the job opening was posted Dec. 9. Earley said he expects Westside will have a new coach named by January.

Joshua Miller covers high school sports for The Anderson Independent-Mail. Have questions, story ideas, scores and stats involving high school athletics? Send them to his email at jdmiller@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter: @NameIsJoshua

This article originally appeared on Anderson Independent Mail: SC high school football: Westside coach Scott Earley to lead SCACA