Richland Northeast names new basketball coach

At a board meeting Tuesday, March 13, 2018, Superintendent Baron R. Davis recommended and the Richland School District Two Board of Trustees approved the hiring of a new high school basketball coach. Stephen “JoJo” English is coming to Richland Northeast High School after having recently served as Associate Men’s Basketball Coach at Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina. Before joining the staff at Catawba, Coach English was the Head Varsity Boys’ Basketball Coach at Sumter High School where he led his team to the Class 4A State Championship during the 2014-2015 season.

“This is a great opportunity for me to come back home to Columbia and work with high school students again,” said English. “I believe that I can have a great impact on the Cavalier program and the overall development and success of the young guys who will be playing for me.”

English has the distinction of having been a member of two state championship teams as a player at Lower Richland High School. After a stellar high school career, he went on to play basketball at the University of South Carolina where he continued his excellence in play by scoring 1,439 points over his four-year career as a Gamecock. After graduating in 1992, he played professionally in the National Basketball Association with the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves; in the Continental Basketball Association with the Tri-City Chinooks, the LaCrosse Catbirds and the Pittsburg Piranhas; and overseas in countries such as Australia, Philippines, Turkey, Israel, and France.

“Bringing someone of Coach English’s caliber to our school is major. He’s a champion and we believe he will build our program up to championship status while being a positive influence in the lives of our student-athletes,” said Richland Northeast Athletic Director Gary Fulmer.

English succeeds Lucas Hargrove who served in the position last season.