Stewart Young Takes Over as Head Coach at Lexington High School
Lexington, SC – In a significant shift in the local football scene, Stewart Young has been named the new head football coach at Lexington High School, taking the position on Wednesday afternoon. Young arrives at Lexington after a remarkable 21-year journey with Saluda High School, including 11 years as head coach.
During his time in Saluda, Young transformed the Tigers into one of the top programs in the Class 2A category, guiding them to their first state title in over 50 years in 2019. His overall record at Saluda stood at an impressive 93-37, which includes five seasons with over ten wins and two region championships. Young expressed his bittersweet feelings about leaving Saluda, saying, “It was tough to leave. I genuinely loved that place, those kids, and that community.” He also revealed there were tears during the emotional meeting with his players earlier in the day.
At Lexington, Young will take over for Dustin Curtis, who stepped down after two seasons but will remain as athletic director. The school district plans to separate the roles of athletic director and football coach by the end of the 2025-26 school year, and Curtis had high praise for Young, noting his impressive resume during the hiring process.
Younger will be stepping into a challenging role, as the Wildcats recently finished last season with a 5-6 record, losing in the first round of the Class 5A Division I playoffs. However, the Wildcats have a solid history, having won six or more games in ten of the last twelve seasons and making the postseason in eleven out of twelve years.
Young’s experience in competing against top-tier programs while at Saluda has prepared him well for the challenge ahead. He aims to boost Lexington’s performance in Region 4-5A, which includes some of the state’s powerhouse teams like Dutch Fork and Irmo.
As he transitions to his new role, Young plans to meet with his coaching staff in the coming days and is likely to bring some of his team from Saluda with him. The excitement in the community is palpable as they look forward to what Young can accomplish with the Wildcats. “The potential is here for us to win and win big,” Young stated confidently.
With Young’s appointment, there are currently three high school teams in the area still searching for head coaches: Cardinal Newman, Saluda, and Spring Valley.
