The Columbia County Board of Education approved the hiring of the first members of Grovetown High School's athletic staff at its meeting Tuesday.
Todd Booker, a Burke County assistant principal and assistant football coach, will be the school's athletic director.
Rodney Holder, a state title-winning baseball coach and assistant football coach at Greenbrier, will be the head football coach. Grovetown is scheduled to open in August 2009.
Booker and Holder won't officially work in their respective capacities until the summer, but both have already begun preparing for the school's first athletic season.
"We're excited to begin building new traditions," said Booker, the head football coach and athletic director at Hephzibah from 2002-04. "We've got a lot to do to fill our athletic staff. We'll be busy."
Booker will also be the football team's defensive coordinator.
Holder, who led Greenbrier to a state baseball title in 2007, will be a head football coach for the first time. He gave up the Greenbrier baseball position after last season's state quarterfinal appearance -- Richmond Academy's Chris Wilkins took over -- indicating he wanted to be a head football coach at the new high school.
"I'm ecstatic; it's going to be a great thing," Holder said.
"I wish we could start tomorrow."
Holder said he didn't apply to be the baseball coach at Grove-town, saying that being a football coach "is a year-round job and a big enough obligation."
Holder will try to hold spring football practice in late April or early May.
Reach Matt Middleton at (706) 823-3425 or matt.middleton@augustachronicle.com.
Comments
I would like to Congratulate Rodney and Todd both on their new positions. I've had the pleasure of knowing both of them at a young age. The Holder Family was extremely good to me in my High School days, a little tough sometimes but helped me to be who I am today. Good Luck Guys.
Burke County is losing a fine person and role model for the young men in Burke County High Scool. Our loss is surely Grove Towns gain. Good Luck to Todd and congratulations on your appointment
Penny Jackson will build a great team at the county's newest high school. She is off to a terrific start. Who is going to be the baseball coach?????
We all know that Holder left GHS in hopes of the athletic director position. Wonder how it feels to be on the receiving end of that proverbial knife in the back? Booker, good luck controlling Holder. Just read the GHS history book (Chadwick) and see what you have to look forward to. If he is on your side....great....if not....watch out!
Quit crying glass houses! The cream rises to the top.
Good luck Coach Holder and Coach Booker. You are both winners who come from winning families!
Yes, good luck Coach Booker....you're going to need it!
Good Luck Todd! You are a deserving fellow. You guys can build Grovetown into a dynasty!
You're completely wrong glass houses. That name you mentioned has already been removed from the Greenbrier history book. I'll thank you not to mention that name again when discussing Greenbrier history.
Congratulations Coach Booker! I'd also like to point out that in the picture above, Coach Todd Booker is on the left, not the right. I'm sure of this because he's my brother-in-law :) You go Todd!!! Love ya, Tracy
I personally think it would be a good move to get as many Holder's in the program as possible! It would be great to see Terry, Buddy and Michael as part of this program and I gaurantee they would produce winner's. If you disagree, it is probably because you do not want the student/athlete's to do the work required to be a winner!
The Todd Booker photo is of Brandon Lynch when he signed to play at Middle Tennessee. He was on the Colts roster when they won the Super Bowl and currently plays in the CFL. As for Rodney Holder, he has not seen eye to eye with the last two head coaches at Greenbrier. Mickey Derrick's last year they never spoke to each other on the sideline. I find it ironic that the new Head coach answers to his assistant. I guess this should be a no more excuses job for Coach Holder. I wonder if the pay for play will continue at Grovetown High. I'm sorry, that never existed (wink, wink) at Greenbrier. I wish all local area teams well but it is what it is!
August(?)College Alum, do you mean Augusta College Alum? Duh! As much as you would like the name CHADWICK to go away, it won't. Holder stabbed him in the back and never gave him a moments peace or support because he didn't get the position he wanted. Now Booker got the position Holder wanted....so I wonder what will happen? Just remember Holder, ...what goes around comes around!
Congrats Rodney and Todd. I was a little confused about the arrangement as well, but there's another little school called De La Salle that does the same thing. Seems to work ok for them.
Glass Houses is a crybaby! Glass houses is a Crybaby! Glass houses is a Crybaby! Glass houses is a Crybaby! Glass houses is a Crybaby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . HAHA!
Thanks for the help with the spelling ( I did graduate from Harvard on the Hill so cut me some slack). Again with that name! Let's move on. The new and improved AD at Greenbrier has the program on the right track although it will take a while to dig out of hole the program was left in. What position did Holder want? He got the position he wanted. He never even applied for the football job at Greenbrier, he was too busy winning a STATE CHAMPIONSHIP in baseball.
Outsidelookingin, we know that you are Buddy Holder, the brother of Rodney Holder. You and your family and cronies from Evans High (AB)are the only ones that hold your brother in such high esteem! "You are both winners who come from winning families! "......you and your family's arrogance is sickening! Could it actually be talented athletes that make your brother look so good, at times? Looking back at recent articles we also know how badly brother wanted the AD position....too bad, so sad! Passed up by an "outsider" again! Ha! I know Booker and I am going to let him know exactly what Holder did to Chadwick at GHS!
What exactly did Holder do to the former coach? Did he force him to not check his paperwork? Did he convince him to use ineligible players? Did he question the offensive genius' extensive knowledge (playstation 3 playbook) ?
Also Booker is no outsider, he was once a coach in Col. County and I believe he coached with the dreaded Holders.
Glass houses, Why do you have to act like a complete A-hole?? You are honestly not doing anything but making your self look like one ignorant little SOB. As a Junior at GHS and transferring to Grovetown High School, I'm honored and looking foreward to playing softball and soccer under Mr. Booker as our AD. And since you are obviously some extremely rude and insecure person that doesn't even know about GHS from the inside. Everyone enjoyed Coach Holder, and anyone that is privledged enough to play any sport with him coaching knows that he is not only a good coach, but a respectable one at that. So try to get off your little pitty cry, because you are obviously the only one that has anything negative to say about the coach appointments.
P.S. Good job Coach Holder and Booker!!!
Congratulations Rodney.
sillywilly, we are just going to go ahead and change your name to "Teacher's Pet" or "Coach's Cousin" since I am sure you are either one or both of those. And who really cares about the opinions of a junior in high school. Come back in a few years when you grow up! By the way, I know quite a bit about the inner workings of GHS, unfortunately!
i hope we play yall next year.....
dont knoe how they are gonna do it
but i think they might be the best team in COLUMBIA
a little bi of eeverybody....Evans,Lakeside, and Harlem.
Who knoes....
only time can tell...see you on the grid iron
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