Jamie Fordham, the new head coach of the Goose Creek Gators, sat down with Movin' The Chains hosts Kevin Thomas and Jerel Hendricks to talk about taking over his alma mater, the staff he built around him, and the message he's preaching to his team this season: why not us, why not now.
Fordham was hired in March after a decade on the Gators' staff, most recently as running backs coach. Watch the full interview below, then read on for the highlights.
Jamie Fordham Takes Over Goose Creek Gators Football
Fordham has been on staff at Goose Creek since 2015 and is a Gators alum himself. Asked what the transition from longtime assistant to head coach has felt like, he called it "a dream come true."
"I never really anticipated doing that," Fordham said. "I always just wanted to come back and give back some kind of way, and just pour back into the program that's done so much for me, man, and help mold me into the man that I am today. It just the doors just happened to open up and the chips fell how they fell, man. I'm blessed and honored to have this opportunity."
From Goose Creek Player to Coastal Carolina and Back to the Sideline
Fordham played at Goose Creek under head coach Danny Sawyer before Coach Reedy took over going into his sophomore year, a change he described as "a culture shock for everybody." Reedy eventually asked him if he wanted to play college football, then helped guide him there. Fordham went on to play four years at Coastal Carolina under Coach Bennett.
After graduating, Fordham stayed on for a strength and conditioning internship at Coastal Carolina, where he fell in love with training. He and his roommate, Ronald Washington, decided they wanted to come home and start training athletes. Fordham opened a 500-square-foot facility called Swift Sports Performance in 2010, which eventually grew into an 8,000-square-foot operation known as "the factory," covering football, basketball, track, and general fitness. He ran it until last year, when he stepped away to come back to coaching full time.
"I never like started out coaching with the anticipation or with the hopes and dreams of being a head coach," Fordham said. "It just happened to play out that way for us."
The Staff Fordham Built at Goose Creek
Fordham said he was "blessed to have a couple of experienced coaches" join his staff. Coach Lee Taylor has been a head coach in South Carolina before. Coach Joe Maine is running the defense. Coach Doug Shaw is coming down from Powdersville to lead the defensive line, and Coach Sam Miller, who Fordham called one of the best offensive line coaches in the low country, is back to shore up the offensive line. Jonathan Bennett, who played at The Citadel, Summerville, and Liberty, is coaching quarterbacks. Deondre Daniels, a Goose Creek alum who played at Miami of Ohio and South Carolina State, is heading up the secondary, and Deshawn Bellock, who spent this year helping at The Citadel, is back on the offensive side.
Fordham said the mix includes former Gators who played under Coach Reedy and understand the program's standard, alongside younger coaches with energy that the veterans have been mentoring, including on how to navigate being a first-time head coach.
CEO Mindset, a Spread Offense, and a Fast Defense
Asked whether he sees himself more as a CEO or a motivator, Fordham said the motivator part comes naturally after years as a trainer figuring out how to get the best out of guys. He said bringing in experienced coordinators lets him "CEO a little bit," trusting their knowledge and their relationships with the players so he can focus on building the program the right way.
Offensively, Fordham said the Gators are opening things up and won't run single wing this year, spreading the ball out between 10 and 11 personnel to take advantage of depth at receiver and a quarterback with three years of eligibility left who he expects to be "pretty special." On defense, he described a two-high shell look, with a defensive line that can get after the quarterback and a deep linebacker group. Because the team is young, he said the staff has spent extra time in the classroom this offseason, "chunking" information rather than overwhelming players with it. "When we let you off the leash, we'll let you off the leash," he said.
The Coaches Who Shaped Fordham
Fordham credited Coach Reedy as the coach who showed him what belief looks like. "I never knew somebody could believe in you so much before you believed in yourself," he said. His high school running backs coach, Coach Leonard Covington, left a lasting impression: after Fordham broke his arm as a sophomore, Covington was already sitting in his living room the next morning. Fordham said that kind of relationship is what pushed him to want to know his own players beyond football, "great fathers, great husbands, great sons," not just wins.
On Coach Bennett at Coastal Carolina, Fordham laughed about Bennett's constant refrain that the team "need more dogs," but said his real respect for Bennett comes from when his clearinghouse paperwork got messed up and he was supposed to be sent home. Bennett paid for him to stay in school until it got sorted out. "That's why in today's era of transfer portal I still wouldn't have left," Fordham said. He also thanked Chris Candor and Coach Winstead, the coach he succeeded, for what they poured into him.
Goose Creek Players to Watch in 2026
Fordham pointed to a handful of Gators he expects to make an impact this fall. Rising senior Elijah Mack played a lot of defensive line last year and, in Fordham's words, has the tools to also play linebacker at the next level. Rising junior Hayden Denmark missed the final four or five games of last season with a knee injury and has come back bigger and stronger; Fordham described him as a physical, aggressive player in the secondary who is still working on discipline in coverage. At quarterback, Tyler Holmes moved from blocking back to full-time starter and is expected to take a big step forward, while running back Sincere Lewis has added roughly 20 pounds and speed since Christmas. "If he doesn't have a thousand yard season, I'm not doing something right," Fordham said. He also mentioned receiver Quran Singleton as one of several pass catchers competing for reps this fall.
For more on South Carolina's top talent, check out Movin' The Chains' player spotlights and Player of the Week coverage, and see where Goose Creek stacks up in our rankings.
"Why Not Us, Why Not Now": Expectations for the Gators
Asked what he's learned about his team through spring and summer workouts, Fordham said the thing that stands out most is that "they don't quit." Even in a rough year in 2025, he said the players never turned on each other and never gave up, and they've responded well to being pushed harder in July.
Fordham said the community is hungry to see the Gators competitive again. Since he was hired, former players have been calling and stopping by, including Javon Kinlaw, Randy Shells, and Jamel Terry, who came down to talk to the current team. "The atmosphere around Goose Creek right now is a little electric," Fordham said, adding that everyone wants to see the program get back to where it used to be.
Leading his alma mater carries extra weight for Fordham, who grew up across the street from the school. He remembered being too sick to attend a game as a kid and having his cousin's teammates come to his house to show him their new uniforms instead. During his interview for the job, he said he told the panel simply, "I am Goose Creek." His message to the team now is "why not us, why not now": an expectation to win every rep in practice, in the weight room, and in the classroom. "We're just going to continue to relentlessly pursue excellence," he said. Rather than selling a multi-year rebuild, Fordham said the goal is to compete now. "Let's put our best foot forward," he said. "We're going to play hard, we're going to play aggressive, we're going to play physical."
Off the Field with Coach Fordham
Fordham called himself "a church boy" who keeps his pregame playlist to worship music, saying it keeps him even-keeled instead of too hyped up, a lesson he learned as a player himself. On food in the Low Country, he pointed to Lewis's Barbecue, noting Rodney Scott's may be closing. His real favorite, though, is Bertha's in Charleston for Southern soul food. "Can't go wrong with mom's house," he said, "but if you like Southern soul food cooking, then you try Bertha's, man. I'd take that one."
FAQ: Jamie Fordham and Goose Creek Gators Football
Who is Goose Creek's new head football coach? Jamie Fordham, hired in March, is the new head coach of the Goose Creek Gators. He is a Goose Creek alum who has been on the Gators' staff since 2015, most recently as running backs coach.
What is Jamie Fordham's coaching and playing background? Fordham played at Goose Creek under Coach Reedy, then played four years at Coastal Carolina under Coach Bennett. After college he interned in strength and conditioning, then ran a training facility called Swift Sports Performance (later "the factory") from 2010 until last year, before returning to coaching full time.
Who is on Jamie Fordham's coaching staff at Goose Creek? Lee Taylor, Joe Maine (defense), Doug Shaw (defensive line), Sam Miller (offensive line), Jonathan Bennett (quarterbacks), Deondre Daniels (secondary), and Deshawn Bellock (offense), alongside Fordham.
What does "Why Not Us, Why Not Now" mean for the Gators? It's Fordham's message to the team that the expectation is to win now, not to sell a multi-year rebuild. He wants the Gators to win every rep in practice, the weight room, and the classroom.
Who are the Goose Creek players to watch in 2026? Fordham highlighted defensive lineman Elijah Mack, defensive back Hayden Denmark, quarterback Tyler Holmes, running back Sincere Lewis, and receiver Quran Singleton.
What is Jamie Fordham's goal for his first season at Goose Creek? To be successful right away. Fordham said the expectation is to win everything the Gators do this year, on top of developing players into good fathers, husbands, and sons.
Watch the full interview above, catch every episode on YouTube, and follow along all season on the Movin' The Chains blog. Meet the crew behind the coverage on the team page, and reach out with tips, questions, or corrections through contact.
This episode of Movin' The Chains is brought to you by Founders Federal Credit Union. Fordham's playing career ran through Coastal Carolina's football program.
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