William Raysor has been introduced as the new head football coach at Denmark-Olar High School. Raysor spent the last two seasons as the Vikings defensive coordinator.

“It’s a blessing to have the opportunity to lead this great group,” Raysor said Wednesday. “My goal is to make these kids believe they can succeed not only on the football field, but also in life.”

Raysor replaces former head coach Jarvis Littlejohn who resigned the position last week. Littlejohn recently accepted a job at Lugoff-Elgin High School where he will be the assistant head coach and defensive coordinator.

“It was a shock (when Littlejohn) resigned, but even more of a shock that I got the job,” Raysor joked.

Littlejohn said he enjoyed his four seasons with the Vikings, but wanted to find a job that would keep him closer to his family.

“(Denmark) was a great fit,” Littlejohn said. “Great school, great players and a great community…but I was commuting nearly two hours every day. I have a son that close to starting middle school football and I want to be close enough to where I can watch him play.”

Littlejohn will be finishing the school year at Denmark-Olar, but said he has already started to meet with Lugoff-Elgin players and attended some practices. Before his departure, he was a part of the interview committee that met with three potential candidates for the D-O head coaching position.

“(Coach Raysor) is going to do a great job,” Littlejohn said. “He’s from the area and is a good defensive coordinator. It should be a seamless transition.”

In addition to his role as defensive coordinator, Raysor has spent the last two seasons as head coach of the Denmark-Olar soccer team where he led the Vikings to back-to-back region championships. He also spent time as an assistant with girls basketball who recently played for a third-straight Class A title.

“My role is to be a leader,” Raysor said. “I’ve spent a lot of time working with kids, and the biggest goal is getting them to believe in themselves. I want our players to learn to fight through adversity.”

The hiring was approved by the school board during a meeting Monday. Raysor takes over as the head football coach, but will not take over the athletics director portion that was left vacant by Littlejohn. The school said it is still looking for an individual to fill that role.

May 8, 2024 | Times and Democrat, The (Orangeburg, SC)
Author/Byline: TRAVIS BOLAND T&D Sports Editor | Section: Football