By Thomas Grant Jr.
For the third time this year, Gray Collegiate Academy’s athletics department will seek a new head coach.
This time, it’s baseball where longtime head coach Charles Assey stepped down in an Aug. 16 school release.
“After long consideration, thought and tears, I have decided it is time for me to hang up my bat, ball and glove,” he stated. “Please accept this letter as a retirement announcement effective immediately.”
In the release, the 68-year-old Assey cited an 8-day stay in the hospital following heart surgery eight weeks ago and a desire to focus on his relationship with his four grandchildren.
A veteran of the sidelines for four decades, Assey won over 500 games at six different schools. He won a state championship in 1998 with Brookland-Cayce.
He also collaborated with his son, Charles Assey Jr., at Cardinal Newman where the younger Assey is now school principal.
In 2018, the elder Assey came out of retirement to take over the War Eagles’ program. He led them to the Class 2A finals in 2022 and 2023, losing to Andrew Jackson and Oceanside Collegiate Academy, and the Upper State final this past season.
“Coach Assey has been a staple for success with high school baseball in South Carolina, and leaves Gray after building a wonderful program,” Gray Collegiate principal Brian Newsome said. “As a former baseball coach myself, Coach Assey was a mentor to me in my young career as he always coached the game the right way: you wear your hats straight, run on and off the field, and play the game with integrity.
“We will miss Coach Assey but he has assured me he wants to stay involved in our baseball program.”
Newsome said a national search will be held to hire Assey’s successor. Since January, he’s had to replace two coaches in football (Adam Holmes) and boys’ basketball (Dion Bethea) who led their respective programs since the school’s inception.
Photo by George Matsui
