Head football coach hired for Cedar Shoals High School

Released today by the Clarke County School District:

Charpia Hired as New Head Football Coach at Cedar Shoals

Athens, Georgia — The Clarke County School District and Cedar Shoals High School are pleased to announce Rusty Charpia as the school’s new head varsity football coach for the 2025-26 school year. The move was approved by the Clarke County Board of Education during its meeting on Feb. 13.

Coach Charpia’s coaching career in football, baseball, and track and field has spanned more than 30 years. He brings to Cedar Shoals a proven track record of not only winning games but connecting student-athletes with opportunities to further their education and continue their playing careers after high school. Since 2011, he has been head football coach and athletic director of Brookland-Cayce High School in Cayce, South Carolina. During that time, he amassed over 90 wins, becoming the school’s all-time winningest coach in its 90-year history, and led the Bearcats to three Lower State championship games in the last seven seasons to go along with five region titles (2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2023).

“We were very pleased with the amount of interest from coaches that wanted the opportunity to be our next head football coach, and there were some really good coaches in the applicant pool,” said Cedar Shoals athletic director L’Dreco Thomas. “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. Coach Charpia plans to connect with the community and rebuild the fan base. He wants to get the entire community, alumni, and local businesses to pour into Cedar Shoals football and get on fire for the students and athletes. Coach Charpia will get in the halls and get the kids to come out and play football. He will empower leaders in his program that will have a big impact on the school. I believe that he will teach the kids the importance of strength training as it relates to football and also teach our kids how to play winning football that will instill pride in team, school, community and being a Jaguar!”

Coach Charpia’s other high school coaching stints have also been in South Carolina and included assistant football coach at Marlboro County, assistant football and head track coach at James Island, and assistant football and head baseball coach at Woodland. He also had graduate assistant football coaching roles at the University of Arkansas from 1991-1993 and the University of Georgia from 1995-1996.

More than 60 of Coach Charpia’s football players have signed college scholarships.

“From the moment he stepped into his interview, his passion for kids and love for the game were undeniable,” said Cedar Shoals principal Dr. Makeba Clark. “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. Go Jags!”

A 1984 graduate of Midland Valley High School in Graniteville, South Carolina, where he was a standout in baseball and football, Coach Charpia played both sports collegiately at Clemson, earning all-conference honors in baseball. He also played professionally in the Milwaukee Brewers organization before beginning his coaching career.

"I am looking forward to the opportunity to coach the young men at Cedar Shoals High,” said Coach Charpia. “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."