The University of South Carolina’s tight ends coach Erik Kimrey has been tapped to head the football program at Baylor School.
Football
Overview
Heywood Stadium, named for Baylor's longest tenured head coach "Humpy" Heywood, has been home to some of the most storied football teams in Tennessee sports history, including the 1973 State and National Champions, and state runners-up in 1972, 1977, 2010, and 2011. The artificial field turf is named after legendary coach E. B. "Red" Etter. The surrounding mountains and the nearby Tennessee River make "Heywood/Etter" an inspiring setting for high school football on a cool fall evening.
Baylor has varsity and junior varsity teams for Upper School students, and fields three teams at the Middle School level for grades 6-8.
FAST FACTS ON BAYLOR FOOTBALL
- Baylor won the AAA state championship and was named National Champs in 1973.
- Baylor was the TSSAA Divsision II state runner-up in 2010 and 2011 and was AAA runner-up in 1972 and 1977.
- Six Baylor players have been named the TSSAA Mr. Football - Scott Abelson (Lineman, 1997), Jacques McClendon (Lineman 2005), Jacob Huesman (Back, 2010), Henrique Ribeiro (Kicker, 2011), Barrett Gouger (Lineman 2011), Rafael Gaglianone (Kicker, 2013), and Ryan Parker (Lineman, 2015).
- At least five noted college football coaches sent their sons to Baylor: Tennessee's Robert Neyland, Alabama's Frank Thomas and Red Drew, Ole Miss' Johnny Vaught, and Arkansas' Frank Broyles.
- At least two Baylor players became college head football coaches. Herman Hickman was head coach of Yale from 1948-51, while Russ Faulkinberry was head coach at Southwestern Louisiana from 1961-73.
- Baylor football teams have played opponents featuring such future pro stars as Fran Tarkenton, Paul Hornung, and Reggie White.
- James B. Rike, the highly successful Baylor coach of the pre-World War II era, was an outstanding player at Ohio Wesleyan for a young and relatively unknown coach named Branch Rickey. Rickey went on to gain nationwide recognition in 1947 when, as president of the Brooklyn Dodgers, he broke the major league baseball color barrier by playing Jackie Robinson.
- A former Baylor player once won the prestigious Outland Trophy, which is given to the outstanding interior lineman in college foootball. Army's Joe Steffy, a 1944 Baylor graduate, won the award in 1947, the second year it was given. While at West Point, he was a teammate of Heisman Trophy winners Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard.
- And speaking of the Heisman, Baylor's outstanding halfback Eddie Prokop finished fifth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy in 1943 while starring for Georgia Tech.
Baylor competes in the TSSAA's Division II AA, perhaps the toughest football league in the state.
Program Highlights
A Great Heritage
Season by Season Results
Baylor Football Greats
Coaching Excellence
The Baylor-McCallie Rivalry
Schedules & Scoreboard
News
Baylor senior Colin Race recently signed to continue his football career at Centre College.
Nick Tiano ’15, a former quarterback for the Baylor football team, has signed a contract with the National Football League’s Houston Texans.
Nick Tiano '15 was named the Most Valuable Player of the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl played Jan. 18 in the Rose Bowl.
Baylor junior and Mr. Football runner-up Elijah Howard is joined by senior linebacker Noah Martin and junior defensive back Riley Jenne on the Tennessee Sports Writers Association Division II-AAA all-state team.
Baylor junior Elijah Howard has been named runner-up for the TSSAA Tennessee Titans Mr. Football award.
Six Baylor seniors signed scholarships or similar agreements to play football at the college or university of their choice on National Signing Day.
Baylor senior Brendon Harris has been named one of five semifinalists for the TSSAA's Division II, Class AAA Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Award for 2017.
Coaches
Varsity
Head Coach: Erik Kimrey
Assistant Coaches: Bubba Burr, John Cofer, Mike Davis, Cos DeMatteo, Spencer Ferrari, Julian Kaufman, Victor McClure, Ryan Reeves, Gary Sanders, Eric Westmoreland
Middle School Varsity
Head Coach: Bill McMahan
Assistant Coaches: Lynn Bodine, Card Steele
Middle School JV
Head Coach: Carlton Stewart
Assistant Coaches: Floyd Mathis, Darren Reiniche
Erik Kimrey
The University of South Carolina’s tight ends coach Erik Kimrey has been tapped to head the football program at Baylor School.
The University of South Carolina’s tight ends coach Erik Kimrey has been tapped to head the football program at Baylor School.
Kimrey has been with the Gamecock’s coaching staff since 2020, and prior to that he spent 17 seasons as the head coach at Hammond School in Columbia, S.C. working closely with Hammond’s former Head of School Chris Angel '89. Angel started his tenure as president and head of school at Baylor in 2021.
“Baylor School is the place between two dreams, and we are incredibly excited to now be a part of Baylor and to live in Chattanooga,” said Kimrey.
"I am ecstatic to welcome Erik and his family to both Baylor and Chattanooga,” said Angel. “Our students and their families will quickly see that Erik has a gift that includes developing young men of character as well as winning both on and off the field. His personal philosophy of developing the whole child aligns perfectly with Baylor's - academically, athletically, and spiritually, and I look forward to the culture he will help establish as we move forward.”
At Hammond, Kimrey led the SkyHawks to 12 SCISA state titles, more than any coach in South Carolina history, while compiling an overall record of 194-20, and became the youngest and fastest coach to reach 100 victories in South Carolina history and the only coach to have won six consecutive state championships.
“Erik is bringing a wealth of successful experience and knowledge as a head coach to Baylor. Not only has he won multiple championships, but he has gained notoriety as a highly effective leader of young men,” said Baylor Athletic Director Mark Price. “His most recent experience coaching in the SEC coupled with his tenure at an institution like Hammond, that aligns philosophically with Baylor, makes him a pragmatic choice to lead our program.”
Kimrey graduated from Dutch Fork High School in Columbia where he played quarterback for his father, Bill Kimrey, who was a head high school coach in South Carolina for 34 years. He set five state passing records as a senior and was the state’s Offensive Player of the Year. Kimrey was a backup quarterback and three-time letter winner at South Carolina from 1998-2002. He is best remembered for coming off the bench to replace an injured Phil Petty and completing a fourth-down fade route pass to Jermale Kelly to lift the Gamecocks to an upset win over Mississippi State during the 2000 season.
After earning his bachelor’s degree in mathematics, Kimrey spent one year as an offensive graduate assistant on Lou Holtz’s staff at South Carolina, coaching tight ends and studying offensive line and tight end play under Coach Dave DeGuglielmo.
“Baylor School is an institution that encourages young people to embody the values that promote success in life through athletics and academics,” said Kimrey. “Our entire family is incredibly excited to join that rich tradition.” Kimrey is married to Erica Russell, and they have three children: Kaitlyn Dean, Karis, and Ty.
ERIK KIMREY AT A GLANCE
PERSONAL
• Hometown/Birthplace: Columbia, S.C.
• High School: Dutch Fork (S.C.) HS, '97
• College: South Carolina, '02
• Wife: Erica
• Children: daughters Kaitlyn Dean and Karis; son Ty
PLAYING CAREER (QUARTERBACK)
• South Carolina (1998-2002)
COACHING CAREER
• 2003-04: South Carolina (Graduate Assistant)
• 2004-20: Hammond (S.C.) School (Head Coach)
• 2021-present: South Carolina (Tight Ends)