By Donald Heath

Special for the Effingham Herald

SPRINGFIELD — Understanding the demand to provide additional help with his special-needs child, Jason Napier stepped away from high school coaching.

Now, given a different set of coaching circumstances, he’s ready to step back in.

The former South Effingham boys head basketball coach said he will return to Effingham County High School to lead the Rebels’ junior varsity boys basketball team during the 2021-22 season.

“When I left, it wasn’t because I was looking to leave South Effingham,” Napier said. “I felt like I had a great situation at South, working for Dr. (Torian) White and coach (Nathan) Clark (as a football assistant) but I had to step back from coaching regardless of where I was.”

Napier didn’t have a choice. His 14-year-old son Noah has had health issues requiring a full-time nurse. Five years ago, another critical issue arose. While sleeping, Noah experienced central sleep apnea (shallow breathing) and had to be placed on a ventilator to keep blood oxygen levels up.

But the ventilator had to be monitored for potential problems throughout the night. For years, Napier and his wife Crystal hired a night nurse, but finding a night nurse had become increasingly difficult, Jason said.

Often, Jason and Crystal, who both work, split late-night duties to watch Noah. The long and often late hours of coaching took their toll. 

“I've been coaching a long time but this year it caused a significant strain when our nursing situation changed,” Napier said. “Noah is as tough-minded as any 14-year-old, but he’s as fragile as a potato chip. My wife has always done a lot, but I couldn’t put all that on her.”

But ECHS had an open coaching position that provided more favorable hours. Rebels’ junior varsity basketball coach Avery Roth left to spend more time with baseball.

And because ECHS’ varsity and junior varsity basketball teams often work out in the newly erected gym at the Clarence E. Morgan Central Recreation Center, daily practices can be finished by 5:30 p.m.

Napier is also 15 miles closer to home.

“I talked it over with my wife and we thought, ‘Why not?’ ” Napier said.

Napier is hardly a stranger to Rebels athletics. The middle Georgia native, who graduated from Georgia Southern University, landed a teaching position in Effingham County in 2000. He helped the Rebels football program as a linebackers coach under George Spencer and assisted with boys basketball under Rob Porterfield.

For 13 years, Napier doubled his efforts as head coach of Effingham County Middle School’s football team and boys basketball team.

For five years, he did triple duty, adding middle school baseball into the mix.

In recent years, he assisted ECHS coach Jake Darling with the varsity basketball team and had been the junior varsity head coach before taking the varsity job at South Effingham for the 2020-21 season.

Under Napier, the rebuilding Mustangs finished 5-16 and lost all 12 games in Region 2-AAAAAA. Rico Campbell will take over.

“I have no pride or ego leaving a varsity head coaching position and returning to JV,” Napier said. “There’s a bigger picture and I know what I’m doing is best for my family.

“I remember taking Noah to the hospital and something a doctor said stuck out to me. He said, “Your family is going to be able to live a normal life, it’s just going to be a new normal.” ”