Gaffney High School football team names new head coach

On Tuesday, Coach Donnie Littlejohn was recommended and approved by Cherokee County School District Board of Trustees as the new Head Coach for the Gaffney High School Varsity Indian Football team. Coach Littlejohn will begin an immediate search for an Offensive Coordinator for Gaffney High School’s Varsity team. He replaces Dan Jones, who had been the coach of the Indians since 2010 and left the program as Gaffney’s all-time winningest coach.Mr. Donnie Littlejohn first began to distinguish himself as a student athlete in 1995 when he was elected to the Herald Journal All Academic Football Team. He continued to receive accolades throughout 1996, including being elected to All Region and receiving the Renegade Award. In 1997, Littlejohn was awarded a scholarship to Furman University, where he again achieved incredible successes. He was awarded the Jacobs Blocking Trophy for the Southern Conference (Best Offensive Lineman) in 2001; also in 2001, Littlejohn was named All-American for the American Football Coaches Association, Sports Network, Associated Press, Walter Camp Foundation, and Football Gazette. Finally, Coach Littlejohn was inducted into The State Newspaper All-Decade Team for 2000-2009. Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Health and Exercise Science from Furman University in May 2002, Littlejohn began teaching Physical Education and coaching both football and women’s track and field. He served as a Physical Education teacher until 2007, when he began his work as an Administrator Assistant. Coach Littlejohn completed his Master of Arts in School Administration in 2005, and in 2011 he undertook the position of Assistant Principal at Gaffney High School, a role in which he currently serves. Among his many roles as a school leader, Coach Littlejohn is an advisor for “Journey to Success” and the Gaffney High Kappa League. He has performed each of these roles while also coaching in a variety of areas. He worked with Varsity tight ends and with the Junior Varsity Team’s Offensive line throughout the 2002-2003 school year before transitioning into the Junior Varsity Head Coaching position and Varsity Assistant to the Offensive Line in 2003-2007. In 2007, Coach Littlejohn began his tenure as the Varsity Offensive Coach and later became Co-Offensive Coordinator. With the beginning of the 2010 football season, Littlejohn was named Offensive Coordinator; this is the coaching position he holds at this time. All in all, Coach Littlejohn has dedicated all 22 years of his educational career to Gaffney High School and Gaffney Indian Football and has proven his commitment to academic and athletic quality through his consistent promotions and leadership merits. The leadership qualities Coach Littlejohn manifests were highly visible based on the letters of recommendation written on his behalf, which accompanied his resumé and application. No fewer than seven head football coaches from across South Carolina and spanning into Florida— from high school to university programs—enthusiastically endorsed Coach Littlejohn for the position of Head Coach for the Gaffney Indians. He also garnered the support of three superintendents who were previously principals at Gaffney High School, two collegiate assistant coaches, and numerous Gaffney High School colleagues. Perhaps the greatest measure of his leadership, however, were the multiple recommendations from students, both current and former. One recommendation came from a former NFL Football Hall of Fame Player; this young man spoke of Coach Littlejohn’s “unwavering support and motivation” for his players on the field. His mission statement illuminated his love for “the rich legacy and traditions of Gaffney Football” and his commitment to the student-athletes, school, and community he would serve: “Together, we will diligently work toward building a prosperous future for our program, prioritizing each player’s growth and development and ensuring that the spirit of Gaffney Football continues to thrive for years to come.”