Sumter County High School head football coach Will Rogers has informed ITG Next that he is stepping away from coaching for personal family reasons.
“I’m stepping away from coaching for now to deal with some personal family issues,” Rogers said.
Rogers said he plans to return to coaching after addressing matters involving his extended family.
“I’m probably not going to coach at all next year,” Rogers said. “I’m going to sit this next year off, take care of what I need to with my family, but my plan is to return to coaching.”
Rogers emphasized that his decision to leave Sumter County had nothing to do with the Panthers’ 3-7 record in 2026.
“No, this has nothing to do with that,” Rogers said. “We knew we were going to have a young team, and I think we were prepared for that.”
Will Rogers Led Sumter County Football to Historic Playoff Success
Rogers was named the Panthers’ head coach in 2023, taking over a program that had won just two games over the previous two seasons, in 2021 and 2022.
He led Sumter County to a 5-5 record in his first season in 2023 before guiding the Panthers to a 10-2 finish in 2024, including a 6-1 record in Region 1-2A and a first-round playoff victory.
In 2025, Rogers led Sumter County to a 12-2 season that included three playoff victories and a trip to the GHSA Class 2A semifinals, where the Panthers lost 24-18 in overtime to Hapeville Charter.
“We won a lot of games these past three years, and I’m really proud of that,” Rogers said.
Rogers Hopes Sumter County Continues Its Football Success
Despite stepping away from coaching, Rogers said he hopes Sumter County continues the progress the program has made under his leadership.
“I hope they make the right hire with the next coach, and I’m sure they will,” Rogers said.
