Chad Leaphart has worn many hats during his 27 years as a coach and educator. His most recent position as the Athletic Director for Lexington School District One is a continuation of his role as a mentor and leader for student-athletes. “We (Lexington School District One coaches) all work together for that common cause, which is to help student-athletes be the best they can be and help them be successful,” said Leaphart.
Leaphart comes from a family of athletes. His father played on the last team in Lexington School District One to win the football state championship in 1950. His brothers also played football for Lexington High School. “I grew up playing everything. We would play football in the fall, basketball in the winter, and baseball in the spring,” he shared.
Leaphart’s interest in coaching was sparked as a football player at Gilbert High School under his coach, Marty Woolbright. After high school, Leaphart went to Newberry College where he played football and earned his Bachelor of Arts in History and Education. He began his first high school coaching position as the assistant football coach at Pelion High School for three years, before going to Strom Thurmond High School where he was the head coach for track and field and the offensive line football coach. During his time there, the team won the state championship in football in 2005.
Leaphart’s first head coach position was at Swansea High School. “That program had been struggling some and we ended up having a lot of success. I was there for six years, and then came back home, so to speak, when Gilbert High School’s job opened in 2016,” Leaphart said. His career at Gilbert High School would earn him the title of the all-time winningest coach there.
Leaphart’s final coaching position was to help coach the Shrine Bowl in December 2023. “I’m going to miss being on the field on Friday nights. There’s nothing like Friday night in Gilbert. It’s a great time and a great experience,” said Leaphart.
Though he isn’t coaching athletes anymore, one could argue that he is still in a coaching position – this time for the district’s coaches. “This opportunity allows me to work with more kids across the district and be involved with more athletic programs, more coaches, and to hopefully impact more people,” he said.
Leaphart and his wife, Dr. Elean Leaphart have three children – Jack, Gray, and Ella. “My wife is a doctor at Lexington Medical Center. She has been supportive through all of this because there are so many late hours, long nights, working weekends, and traveling,” Leaphart said. Throughout his career, Leaphart had the opportunity to coach his sons through their football careers. His daughter is a student at Gilbert and is involved in student government along with being active in competitive cheerleading.
As for his new position, Leaphart says he is enjoying meeting coaches and school administrators. “It’s been great building these relationships. We want to keep our successful athletics programs going, we are very proud of our district,” he shared.