‘My time at GSF has been a blessing’: Kiefer out as Green Sea Floyds football coach

Green Sea Floyds will be in the market for a new football coach, as coach Donnie Kiefer informed his team on Friday that he will not return next season.

He’s apparently taking over the head coaching position at Charleston Class 5A school West Ashley, whose twitter account on Friday posted “Welcome Coach Kiefer! #UniteTheWest”

Kiefer was at the helm during the most successful run in Green Sea Floyds football history, leading the Trojans to 28 wins and two Class A state championships in his three years, including a 12-1 season this past year with a 48-12 victory over Ridge Spring-Monetta in the state title game.

“I have just informed my players that I will not be returning as (head coach) next season,” Kiefer said in a text message on Friday around 2 p.m. “I will be coaching in another system in SC. My time at GSF has been a blessing.”

The move comes as a shock, as Kiefer has built the Trojans into a powerhouse program, starting by overhauling the strength and conditioning of the football and powerlifting teams. The 2018 Toast of the Coast Football Coach of the Year, Kiefer had a strong nucleus of talent returning to the fold, including superstar running back Jaquan Dixon and uber-athlete Aaron Graham expected to take over as quarterback.

The next coach at Green Sea Floyds will have big shoes to fill, as Kiefer turned a once-lackluster program into a bully in Class A. The Trojans spent all of last season ranked in the top three of the South Carolina Prep Media Football Poll and only dropped one contest, falling to Class 3A Aynor 36-22 in a tough early-season game.

Kiefer was not available for comment on Friday.

This story was originally published January 24, 2020 at 2:23 PM.