Tew leaving Nation Ford for Bluffton High

For the second time in as many months, the Nation Ford Falcons are losing another head coach.

Come this winter there will be a new boys and girls head basketball coach on the sidelines for the Falcons. Boys basketball coach Michael Tew has taken the job as the new head boys’ basketball coach of the Bluffton High School Bobcats in Beaufort County.

Girls’ basketball coach Tamara Washington resigned her position after this past season as well.

Tew has spent three seasons at Nation Ford and compiled a 38-37 record at the school making the playoffs two of his three seasons. Tew said the Bluffton job was a once-in-a lifetime opportunity because not only does it get him back down towards the Lowcountry, but he also gets a chance to coach his grandson in both football and basketball.

“I can’t believe I was fortunate enough to get it,” Tew said.

“I have the opportunity to coach my grandson, who will be a rising freshman, and my daughter, his mom, lives right across the street from the school. My grandson, who is a quarterback as well, can see the football stadium from his bedroom.”

Tew said he was torn about leaving Nation Ford because of how good he expects the basketball team to be the next three seasons, but the pull of family was too strong to pass up the position. Tew will also help coach football at Bluffton High. Tew’s son and his family also lives within an hour of Bluffton on James Island, and his sister,will be moving up from Savannah, Ga., to Bluffton as well.

“I can’t say enough about the positive experiences I have had here at Nation Ford,” Tew said. “But this is all about family. I will miss my kids here at Nation Ford. I will be rooting for them to do well.”

Tew said the committed to Bluffton came just last week, but they had contacted him in January about the position. He said he put them off until after basketball season concluded and talks then got underway. He had also been approached in the past about jobs at Beaufort High and Wando High schools, but turned them down.

This story was originally published May 13, 2016 at 7:45 PM with the headline "Tew leaving Nation Ford for Bluffton High."