Local alum coming back to Midlands to fill high school football coaching vacancy

Demarcus Simons is headed back to the Midlands to continue his coaching career.

Simons will be the next coach at Eau Claire High School. He replaces Shaq Hilton, who resigned last month.

The move was approved at Tuesday’s Richland 1 school board meeting.

Simons has spent the last three years as the Great Falls High head coach and announced his resignation there Monday. He went 12-17 in his three years, including a 7-4 mark and a playoff appearance in 2021. That was the Red Devils’ first playoff game in several years.

Before Great Falls, Simons was an assistant at Keenan High in Columbia for three years. He was a standout player at Ridge View High School and went on to three college football seasons at Benedict.

Simons played five seasons of indoor football, with his last stop with the Dalton Force in Georgia.

Simons provided stability at Great Falls, lasting three years after the program went through four coaches in five seasons.

Now, Simons hopes to do the same at Eau Claire. The Shamrocks went 0-16 in Hilton’s two seasons, going 0-9 this year. Five of the team’s losses were by 10 points or fewer. Eau Claire’s last win and playoff appearance came in 2019.

The Shamrocks won four games in 2018 under Kelly. Eau Claire’s last winning season came in 1986.

SC High School Football openings

School — Former School — New Coach

Aiken — Olajuwon Paige — TBA Berea — Julius Prince — Drew Chisholm Berkeley — Jerry Brown — TBA Clover — Brian Lane — Perry Woolbright Colleton County — Kris Howell — Adam Kinloch Columbia — Jason Bush — TBA Conway — Carlton Terry — TBA Darlington — Raymond Jennings — Jamie Johnson Dillon Christian — Christian Wolfe — Donell Stanley

Eau Claire — Shaq Hilton — TBA First Baptist — Johnny Waters — Jamaal Birch

Georgetown — Jimmy Noonan — Bradley Adams

Great Falls — DeMarcus Simons — TBA Green Sea Floyds — Joey Price — Patrick Martin Hanahan — Art Craig — Milan Turner

Hannah-Pamplico — Jamie Johnson — Trey Woodberry Heathwood Hall — Danny Lewis — TBA Hillcrest — Anthony Frate — TBA Landrum — Jason Farmer — Brent Bridges Lexington — Perry Woolbright — TBA May River — Rodney Summers — TBA Mullins — John Williams — TBA

North Central — Ryan McDonnell (interim) — TBA North Charleston — Devon Smalls — TBA Orangeburg Prep — Andy Palmer — Don Shelley Palmetto — Doug Shaw — TBA Pickens — Chad Smith — James Reynolds Spring Valley — Robin Bacon — TBA Thomas Heyward — Nic Shuford — TBA

Walhalla — Padgett Johnson — Chris Stone Ware Shoals — Chris Johnston — Chris Dodson Westside — Scott Earley — Brian Lane Williamsburg Academy — Don Shelley — Tyler Boyd Woodmont — Jeff Murdock — Ty Sutherland Woodruff — Bradley Adams — Brett Sloan Wren — Jeff Tate — Anthony Frate