On December 13, Stuart Holcombe’s name was officially etched in stone with the greats.
The former Greer head football coach was inducted into the South Carolina Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame last week. The honor came to Holcombe as a great shock.
“I was honestly so surprised,” said Holcombe. “It’s such a prestigious honor to see your name up there with some of the legends: guys like [former head coaches] Willie Varner, John McKissick, Pinky Babb. It’s really humbling.
“I see it as a reflection of all the great players that played for me, and all the amazing staff members I was able to work with. That’s what makes this possible.”
When you coach as long at one place as Holcombe did, those great players and staff members are bound to come through. Holcombe coached 14 seasons at Greer — from 1987-2000.
In that time, the legendary head coach amassed an impeccable 132-47 record to go along with two state championships.
Greer was Holcombe’s final stop after stints at Porter-Gaud, Johnsonville, and Socastee. And when the time came for Holcombe to hang it up, he just knew.
“A lot of factors went into me deciding it was time,” said Holcombe. “For starters, I wasn’t getting any younger. There was no time off then, either. It was a year-long commitment. And I think the wear and tear it was taking on me made me feel like I couldn’t be the coach I wanted to be. I felt like I couldn’t do the things I used to do."
Holcombe, in his trademark humble manner, refuses to take much credit for his accomplishments as a head coach. His success at Greer football, he says, boils down to the people who came before him — and the community investment in the team and school.
“When I got here, the foundation was already set from the coaches who came before me: Phil Clark, Jim Few, those guys,” said Holcombe. “And the community, well, that’s always been there. It was a one-horse town. Greer football was the ticket in town. The tradition was already there.
“Greer is just a different place. The support we received was unbelievable.”
When news broke that Holcombe had received Hall of Fame honors, former players from throughout Holcombe’s tenure flooded him with congratulations and praise.
Very few of them praised Holcombe’s accomplishments as a coach, however. The stats tell that story.
Most had far more to say about who Holcombe was to them as a person and mentor.
“I think that when you spend that much time with players, you develop a bond that goes past football,” said Holcombe. “The more you do it, the more you realize you’re in this field to serve others. The wins don’t mean all that much if you aren’t serving those players and leading those young men.”
Though he becomes a Hall of Famer for his record and his accomplishments, Holcombe hopes to be remembered in Greer for everything but that.
“I hope I’m recalled as someone who wasn’t all about just winning a ball game,” said Holcombe. “I really do. “I hope I’m remembered for doing the right things, for helping people do more good than bad. I hope I’m remembered for giving young men opportunities they might not have had otherwise.
“I think our government spends billions of dollars on mental health, but the coaching profession, I believe, has the ability to impact the minds and lives of young people far better than anything else I know of. I truly believe that.”
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