Jorge Santos has been named the head boys soccer coach at Greer High School. Travis Perry, Greer Athletic Director, selected Santos, a 2010 graduate of Newberry College, from over 12 applicants.
“I think we made a great decision in hiring Jorge to coach at Greer,” Perry said. “He has the skills and techniques we were looking for to teach our boys soccer.”
“I’ve heard good things about the team and the support the team gets from the school and fans,” Santos said. “I’m looking forward to our first day of practice in January or February.”
Santos signed his teaching contract at Bell’s Crossing Elementary today. He moved from Atlanta to Woodruff where he played soccer. He attended Spartanburg Methodist College before earning a degree in Physical Education at Newberry.
“I believe phys ed may be the only physical activity in the day for most students,” Santos said. “Students should have a good physical activity at least 30-40 minutes a day.”
Santos said he didn’t promise state or region championships during his interview with school officials. “We will be competitive and we will be professional as athletes on and off the field,” Santos said. “I teach players they must respect the game and that school comes first.”
Santos said, as a player, he was attack-minded. “As a coach it depends on the team we are playing,” he said. “If the team is attacking we will adjust.”
Baseball was Santos’ sport of choice until he moved to Woodruff. “My friends were playing soccer so I went from baseball to playing soccer in my 10th grade,” Santos said.
Santos won the Jimmy Villeponteau Sportsmanship Award at Newberry. It is given in memory annually to a senior athlete who best exemplifies sportsmanship. Ironically, Greer Principal Marion Waters was also a recipient of the award in 1971.
Villeponteaux was a student-athlete and Newberry College graduate of 1963. He was killed during air action over Vietnam three years later.
Santos replaces Kevin Brabham who left in the spring to become soccer coach at Riverside High School.