Jerry Cash

The name Jerry Cash is synonymous with High School football

in both North and South Carolina. In a coaching career that spanned

over 50 years from 1967-2022, Cash garnered an impressive 362

wins as a head coach. 175 of those victories came right here in

Rutherford County at both East Rutherford and Thomas Jefferson

Classical Academy. Over his career, Cash has earned countless

honors and accolades, including multiple conference championships,

playoff appearances, Coach Of The Year Awards, and even coached

at the prestigious Shrine Bowl. In addition to the RCSHOF, Cash is

also a member of the Union County (SC), Chesnee (SC), and East

Rutherford Hall of Fames.

Jerry Cash was born in Chesnee, South Carolina, on July 11th, 1945.

He started his coaching journey in 1967 at Boiling Springs High

School in South Carolina as an assistant coach. In 1971, Cash began

his head coaching career at Jonesville High School, leading both

the football and baseball teams. During his tenure at Jonesville from

1971-1981, Cash led the Wildcats’ football program to a pair of State

Championship appearances in 1973 and 1979 and had an overall

record of 69-41. Cash then had a short three-year stint at Riverside

High School, where he had a winning record in two of his three

seasons at the helm of the Warriors’ program.

After leaving Riverside, Cash continued to make a name for himself

in his hometown of Chesnee. He coached the Eagles from 1984-

1996, garnering 91 wins in the process, which included three Upper

State Championship appearances. At the end of the 1992 season,

Cash was chosen to be on the coaching staff for the Shine Bowl after

leading the Eagles to a 10-4 record.

Cash crossed the border into Rutherford County and immediately

turned around a struggling East Rutherford program, leading them to

an 8-2 record during the 1997 campaign, earning him the NCHSAA Coach

Of The Year. The next season, the Cavaliers improved to 11-2. In 2005, Cash

led the Cavs to a 12-2 mark and a Southwest Conference

title. That season also included a victory over Shelby, making Cash

the last Rutherford County coach to beat the Golden Lions on the

gridiron. Cash “retired” from coaching in 2008, but reemerged in 2012 to

turn around the Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy Gryphons.

TJCA had only managed one win in its previous three seasons

of existence. Under Cash, they achieved a 90-32 mark, including six

straight 10-win seasons. In fact, the Gryphons never posted a losing

record with Cash on the sidelines in Avondale. Cash retired in 2022,

ending a coaching career that spanned more than five decades. During

that time, his teams made 35 playoff appearances, won 14 conference titles,

and he earned 11 Conference Coach of the Year honors. He was inducted into

the Union County Sports Hall of Fame in 2010 and the East Rutherford Hall of Fame in

2017.

“It’s a real honor and privilege to be inducted into the RCSHOF,”

Cash said. “I never expected this, and I am truly grateful. I didn’t think

I would be coaching in Rutherford County that long, but coaching at

East Rutherford and TJCA was so much fun, it was hard to leave. I

had a wonderful experience at both schools.”

Cash currently lives in Mooresboro with Judy, his wife of 56 years.