Scott steps down as Socastee boys basketball coach

DeAndre Scott’s time as the boys basketball coach at Socastee has come to an end after three seasons.

His career – one that spans 17 years, four varsity jobs and a 2008 Class AAA state championship with Myrtle Beach – also appears to be over. The 40-year-old Scott, citing a need to spend more time with his family, has resigned his athletics position, effective immediately.

“I can’t think of any situation where I would,” Scott said of a return to the sidelines in the future. “I feel like that’s pretty much a closed chapter of my life.”

Scott, who replaced Tommy Johnson in May of 2013, was 25-51 in his time with the Braves. However, he was selected as an assistant coach for the North-South All-Star Basketball game following the season and has been long respected for his production coaching different multiple teams.

In addition to the state title with Myrtle Beach, he led Chester to the 2004 Class AAA Upper State finals. He then won 56 games with the Seahawks between 2006-2009 and 57 with Wilson from 2009-2012.

He left that school, his alma mater, having also cited a need to spend more time with family.

Scott said this time it is a more permanent decision, albeit not one that has anything to do with Socastee’s record over the course of the last three years.

“For me, personally, that side of things was a disappointment,” he said. “But it didn’t have any bearing on my decision. If we won 20 games, I think the end result would have been the same.

I didn’t have any issues with administration. Everybody at Socastee was great. There were no problems. This was 100 percent my decision.”

Socastee Athletics Director Tim Renfrow was not immediately available for comment. However, the school has already posted the position through Horry County Schools’ website. The listing, which went up Friday, makes it clear that the opening is for only the supplemental portion of the job, not a full-time teaching position.

Several schools have posted similar listings in the past and then hired someone who is already on the district payroll in a full-time position or the state’s retirement system.

Whomever is hired will be taking over a position held by just three men since 1975. That year, Dan D’Antoni was hired to lead the program. He remained until 2005, when Johnson made the move from Florence.

This story was originally published April 11, 2016 at 11:09 PM with the headline "Scott steps down as Socastee boys basketball coach."