South Carolina Gamecock Alum Takes Over as Pelion’s New Head Coach!

Pelion Lands Former Gamecock Cory Helms as New Head Coach

Pelion High School has found its next football leader, and it’s a name familiar to South Carolina football fans.

Former South Carolina offensive lineman Cory Helms, who has been the head coach at Cardinal Newman for the past three years, is set to take over the Panthers’ football program. Helms replaces Dann Holland, who is transitioning into a full-time athletic director role as Lexington 1 separates the AD and head coach positions.

Helms’ hiring was officially approved during Tuesday’s Lexington 1 board meeting, and the school will introduce him in a press conference scheduled for Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.

A Gamecock Pipeline to High School Coaching

Helms isn’t the only former Gamecock to land a head coaching job this month. He joins Jake Bentley (Nation Ford) and Captain Munnerlyn (Chambers, N.C.) in making the transition to leading high school programs.

This marks Helms’ second head coaching job after spending the past three seasons at Cardinal Newman, where he led the team to a 16-18 record and three playoff appearances. The 16 wins in that span were the most for the program since the late 1990s.

Helms’ standout year came in 2023, when the Cardinals finished 9-3 and made it to the SCISA Class 4A semifinals, the school’s best season since 1997.

A Football Journey from Player to Coach

Before taking over at Cardinal Newman, Helms spent three years as offensive line and strength coach at Gray Collegiate. Additionally, he has been involved in training offensive linemen through TrenchWork Performance, a program dedicated to developing talent in the trenches.

A Georgia native, Helms started his collegiate career at Wake Forest before transferring to South Carolina, where he made 46 career starts at guard and center. After his college days, he signed with the New Orleans Saints as a free agent in 2018 and later spent time with the Cincinnati Bengals, appearing in two preseason games.

The Challenge Ahead at Pelion

Helms inherits a Pelion program in need of a turnaround. The Panthers finished 2-9 last season and have only had four winning seasons since 2008. The team’s last standout year came in 2020, when they went 4-3 and won their first region championship since 2000.

With Helms at the helm, Pelion will look to build a new era of success, leveraging his playing experience, coaching background, and ability to develop talent.

Stay tuned for more updates following Wednesday’s press conference.

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