By Thomas Grant Jr.
For nine seasons, Robert Wells coached his alma mater Brookland-Cayce boys basketball team to winning success.
Now Wells looks to take on a challenge in the same county. However, it’s at a high school in a different district and classification with recent state championship success.
More important, it’s close to his home and where his children now attend school. On Tuesday, Wells was introduced as the new boys’ basketball coach at Lexington High School.
“I think it just came down to family, really, and the location,” Wells said. “I’ve been living over here in Lexington for the last eight years and my kids are zoned in Lexington One, which is a great opportunity to come to Lexington High School where they’ve won championships, to take on this challenge over here.”
Wells replaces Elliott Pope, who resigned after six seasons and leading the Wildcats to the 2023-24 Class 5A title. Pope is now an assistant coach at Gray Collegiate Academy.
Wells has over 13 years of coaching experience, starting with two seasons as an assistant at A.C. Flora. Ironically, Lexington athletics director Dustin Curtis worked with Wells at Brookland-Cayce when he was the head football coach.
During the interview, Curtis could sense the “high energy” and “enthusiasm” Wells brings to the position. Coming off a losing season in which the Wildcats were 0-10 in Region 4-5A, Wells looks to inject some rejuvenation into the program.
“His personality and his energy is infectious and I think we need that in our program right now,” Curtis said. “I think it’s going to be a big deal in high school athletics in general and he kind of wowed us with that.”
Wells also cited the mentorship he’s received from the likes of former University of South Carolina captain Carey Rich and former A.C. Flora head coach Leon Brunson. He’s also already reached out to former Lexington head coach Bailey Harris to speak about the position. He believes the move puts him into a closer position to win a state title.
Wells acknowledged the challenges of coaching in Region 4-5A with state championship coaches in Benjamin Lee (River Bluff), Brett Jones (Dutch Fok) and Willie Thomas (White Knoll). He also believes facing these teams in non-region on a regular basis has prepared him and he has great confidence in Lexington’s feeder system.
As for the Cayce Roundball Classic, Wells confirmed him plans to move the event to Lexington High School.
