Airport High has found its next football coach.

The Eagles are hiring Chris Napier as the program’s new coach and school’s athletic director. The hire became official at Monday’s Lexington 2 school board meeting.

Napier replaces Shane Fidler, who left earlier this month after two seasons to become the athletic director at White Knoll.

“I am truly honored and humbled to be selected as the head football coach and athletic director at Airport High School,” Napier told The State. “I look forward to building on the rich tradition of Eagle athletics and working with our student-athletes, staff, and community. I appreciate Mr. Schilit, Mr. Warren, and Dr. Hafner giving me this opportunity to serve the students and community of Airport.”

Napier has been the assistant principal at Newberry High School since 2023. He was one of three finalists for the job, according to local athletic sources.

Napier was on the River Bluff coaching staff two years ago before taking the administrative job at Newberry. Last year, he was an offensive consultant for Newberry High’s football team. The West Virginia native has been an assistant football coach at the high school and college level in four different states, including Lagrange College in Georgia in 2014.

With spring football practice started already across the state, Napier will be trying to play catch-up heading into the summer.

“I am just really excited to meet the kids and staff,” Napier said. “That’s what this job is all about. Serving the Airport High School community. We will work through the logistics of everything this week.”

Napier is the school’s third different coach in the last four seasons after having just one coach (Kirk Burnett) from 2004 to 2021. The Eagles went 2-9 this season and lost in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs.

Airport has a young nucleus player led by all-region selections freshman quarterback Delreco Eady, T/DE Ben Humphries and DE Daniel Butts.

Napier’s hire is part of a large turnover of coaches in the Midlands this offseason. There will be 13 new head coaches on area teams when the season kicks off in August.

SC football Coaching Openings

School – Former Coach – New Coach

Academic Magnet – Mitch White – Austin Miller

Aiken – Dwayne Garrick – Steve Hibbitts

Airport – Shane Fidler – Chris Napier

Allendale-Fairfax – Tristain Armstrong – Travis Lewis

American Leadership – Robin Bacon – Kemper Amick

Brookland-Cayce – Rusty Charpia – Louis Clyburn

CA Johnson – Scotty Dean – TBA

Cardinal Newman – Cory Helms – Jared Shaw

Daniel – Jeff Fruster – Chris Stone

First Baptist -Jamaal Birch – Kevin Mapp

Gaffney – Dan Jones – Donnie Littlejohn

Greenville – Jaybo Shaw – Steve Watson

JL Mann – Steve Watson – Bryce Smiley

Keenan – Ray McCleod – Jarrett Neely

Kingstree – Brian Smith – TBA

Lamar – Stephen Burris – Tyler Boyd

Landrum – Brent Bridges – TBA

Laurence Manning – Robbie Briggs – Jimmy Noonan

Lexington – Dustin Curtis – Stewart Young

Lugoff-Elgin – Leon Boulware – Jarvis Littlejohn (interim)

Midland Valley – Earl Chaptman – Brent Dorn

Nation Ford – Michael Allen – Jake Bentley

Oceanside Collegiate – John Patterson (interim) – Brent LaPrad

Orangeburg Prep – Don Shelley – Brooks Smith

Pelion – Dann Holland – Cory Helms

Porter-Gaud – Brad Bowles – Matt Neighbors

River Bluff – Blair Hardin – Perry Parks

Rock Hill – Randy Birch – Leon Boulware

Saluda – Stewart Young – Greg Woerner

Southside – Roy Ravenell – AJ Millis

Southside Christian – Mike Sonneborn – Jonathan Gess

Spring Valley – Nygel Pearson – Norman Washington

Trinity Collegiate – Jared Amell – Shawn Fagan

Westwood – Rob O’Connell – Stephen Burris

West Ashley – Donnie Kiefer – Rashad Graham

West Florence – Jody Jenerette – Chad Wilkes

Whale Branch – Jerry Hatcher – TBA

Wilson – Daryl Page (interim) – Brian Wilson

Woodmont – Ty Sutherland – Malcolm Boyd

Lou Bezjak: (803) 771-8419, @LouatTheState