Over 40 years after earning all-state honors as a high school football player and claiming a state title as a wrestler for Fort Johnson High School on James Island – building-block moments that sparked a successful coaching future – Tim Wash will go into the South Carolina Athletic Coaches Association’s Hall of Fame Sunday, July 21, in Greenville as part of the SCACA’s all-sports clinic.

Wash, who won his state wrestling crown at 188 pounds in 1980, finished with more than 500 career coaching victories on the mat. It’s an impressive number that includes multiple state championships.

The 2024-25 school year will be his 40th coaching as a member of the SCACA. He is still a teacher at Cane Bay High School and a defensive assistant for the Cobras’ football team.

Wash gave up wrestling in 2022.

“Receiving an award like this makes me feel like I’m doing something right,” Wash said. “I’ve been lucky to have the kids who came up under me. I’ve said this before: without the kids to coach, there is no coach’s hall of fame. It’s a tribute to them.”

His first job out of Newberry College, where he played four years of football, was as a football assistant at James Island High School for five years. Wash took over the school’s wrestling program in 1989, garnering one of his 18 region coach of the year nods.

Wash departed for Lugoff-Elgin in 1990 and guided six wrestling teams to state finals, winning three straight. Following the first championship in 1997, Wash was selected the state’s coach of the year.

Wash’s journey took him to Rock Hill High School from 2000-06, where he captured five region wrestling coach of the year awards and guided two teams to state finals appearances. Also, Wash was an assistant on two Bearcats football staffs that captured state titles in 2002 and 2004.

In 2007, Wash returned to the Lowcountry to coach football for Dr. Jerry Brown and wrestling at Berkeley High School. In 2009, the Stags won a state championship on the gridiron.

Wash guided the Cane Bay wrestling program from 2011-22 and won 172 matches. He was also selected three times in his career to coach in the North-South Wrestling All-Star event.

Wash was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2023 with 514 duals victories.

Caption:

Tim Wash’s wrestling teams won more than 500 matches in 30-plus seasons.

Rob Gantt/Independent