Willie Varner
Encyclopedia
W. L. "Willie" Varner (May 22, 1926 – January 20, 2009) was a high school football
coach. He coached for 42 seasons (1954–96) at Woodruff High School in Woodruff, South Carolina
, amassing 383 victories, 10 state titles, and 28 conference titles. Coach Varner was given the order of the Palmetto
, which is the highest honor given to a South Carolina civilian, in 1996.
and attended Spartanburg High School
. He played football and ran track for Wofford College
. After graduation he served a short stint in the Army before beginning his coaching career at Woodruff High School.
schools have accomplished. His back to back title teams in 1983 and 1984 combined to finish a perfect 28-0 over their two championship seasons. He ranks second in the state of South Carolina and sixth in the Nation in wins. He is a member of the Wofford College Hall of Fame, WHS Hall of Fame, National High School Hall of Fame, S.C. Athletics Hall of Fame, and S.C. Coach’s Association Hall of Fame. He was named the National High School Coach of the Year in 1983. Among his prized players was Tony Rice, who quarterbacked state championships for Varner and also led Notre Dame to a national championship under Lou Holtz
. He coached in the Shrine Bowl
and in the North-South all star game, which he won twice.
. Out of the 25 State Championships that Woodruff High School owns Varner is responsible for 16 of them. There was a Pepsi
bottle made with Varner’s face on it after he was named to the National High School Sports Hall of Fame. After he was forced to step down as the head coach in 1996 he still remained active in the school as the assistant principal. On January 20, 2009 Varner died.
No. 100 – Woodruff 40, Winnsboro 0, 1966
No. 200 – Woodruff 35, Pendleton 14, 1976
No. 300 – Woodruff 43, Liberty 0, 1986
No. 383 – Woodruff 14, Woodmont 6, 1996
1957 – Woodruff 14, L.B. Clearwater 12
1965 – Woodruff 12, Berkeley 7
1975 – Woodruff 21, Bamberg-Ehrhardt 14
1976 – Woodruff 31, Lake View 0
1977 – Woodruff 27, Mayo 6
1978 – Woodruff 30, Andrews 0
1980 – Woodruff 34, Swansea 0
1983 – Woodruff 7, St. John’s 0
1984 – Woodruff 23, St. John’s 7
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
coach. He coached for 42 seasons (1954–96) at Woodruff High School in Woodruff, South Carolina
Woodruff, South Carolina
Woodruff is a city in Woodruff is a city in Woodruff is a city in [[Spartanburg County, South Carolina, located in the "Upstate" area...
, amassing 383 victories, 10 state titles, and 28 conference titles. Coach Varner was given the order of the Palmetto
Order of the Palmetto
The Order of the Palmetto is the highest civilian honor awarded by the Governor of South Carolina. It is awarded to persons who make contributions of statewide significance. An auxiliary honor is "The Order of the Silver Crescent." Today it is awarded to persons who make community or professional...
, which is the highest honor given to a South Carolina civilian, in 1996.
Background
Varner was born in Gaffney, SCGaffney, South Carolina
Gaffney is a city in and the county seat of Cherokee County, South Carolina, United States, in the upstate region of South Carolina. Gaffney is also sometimes referred to as the Peach capital of South Carolina. The population was 12,414 at the 2010 census...
and attended Spartanburg High School
Spartanburg High School
Spartanburg High School is part of Spartanburg County School District No. 7. The current principal is Jeff Stevens, a former assistant principal at the school.-Layout:...
. He played football and ran track for Wofford College
Wofford College
Established in 1854 and related to the United Methodist Church, Wofford College is an independent, Phi Beta Kappa liberal arts college of 1,525 students located in downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina, United States. The historic campus is recognized as a national arboretum and features “The...
. After graduation he served a short stint in the Army before beginning his coaching career at Woodruff High School.
At Woodruff High
In 42 years, he had a record of 383-133-10. His Woodruff teams won 10 state championships, 16 Upper State titles, and 28 conference crowns. The four state titles his teams won from 1975-1978 is a feat that only two other South CarolinaSouth Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
schools have accomplished. His back to back title teams in 1983 and 1984 combined to finish a perfect 28-0 over their two championship seasons. He ranks second in the state of South Carolina and sixth in the Nation in wins. He is a member of the Wofford College Hall of Fame, WHS Hall of Fame, National High School Hall of Fame, S.C. Athletics Hall of Fame, and S.C. Coach’s Association Hall of Fame. He was named the National High School Coach of the Year in 1983. Among his prized players was Tony Rice, who quarterbacked state championships for Varner and also led Notre Dame to a national championship under Lou Holtz
Lou Holtz
Louis Leo "Lou" Holtz is a retired American football coach, and active sportscaster, author, and motivational speaker in the United States...
. He coached in the Shrine Bowl
Shrine Bowl
The Shrine Bowl was a former postseason college football bowl game. The first game was played on December 18, 1948, at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock, Arkansas between Hardin-Simmons University and Ouachita Baptist College....
and in the North-South all star game, which he won twice.
Other experience
Varner also won 4 state Championships in Girls basketball and 2 in baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
. Out of the 25 State Championships that Woodruff High School owns Varner is responsible for 16 of them. There was a Pepsi
Pepsi
Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...
bottle made with Varner’s face on it after he was named to the National High School Sports Hall of Fame. After he was forced to step down as the head coach in 1996 he still remained active in the school as the assistant principal. On January 20, 2009 Varner died.
Milestone Wins
No. 1 – Woodruff 7, Boiling Springs 0, 1954No. 100 – Woodruff 40, Winnsboro 0, 1966
No. 200 – Woodruff 35, Pendleton 14, 1976
No. 300 – Woodruff 43, Liberty 0, 1986
No. 383 – Woodruff 14, Woodmont 6, 1996
State championships
1956 – Woodruff 12, St. Andrews 61957 – Woodruff 14, L.B. Clearwater 12
1965 – Woodruff 12, Berkeley 7
1975 – Woodruff 21, Bamberg-Ehrhardt 14
1976 – Woodruff 31, Lake View 0
1977 – Woodruff 27, Mayo 6
1978 – Woodruff 30, Andrews 0
1980 – Woodruff 34, Swansea 0
1983 – Woodruff 7, St. John’s 0
1984 – Woodruff 23, St. John’s 7