Blair Hardin took the news well, and with pride. His wife Erica was promoted in July to be the Lexington High School varsity volleyball coach.
It was their three daughters — Gracelan, 7, Brynlee, 5, and Ellie, 3 — who had a more difficult time comprehending the arrangement, asking variations of the same question: How is this going to work?
You see, Blair has been the football coach at River Bluff High for the past eight seasons. And up until this summer, the Hardin family wardrobe was dominated by the green and gold colors of the Gators.
Bringing Wildcat blue, yellow and white into the mix? That was going to be an adjustment.
Their Lexington County home is now a house divided, similar to those split by loyalties to South Carolina and Clemson. But in the case of the Hardin family, Blair and Erica are coaches at the two fiercest rivals among the Lexington 1 school district’s high schools.
“Being a Gator for the past eight years, it was definitely new territory,” Erica Hardin told The State. “... I know what the rivalry means for both schools and for the town. Hopefully, this will bring a little peaceful animosity to the rivalry.“
A true coaching carousel
Erica is enjoying her role as Lexington’s head coach, even though it wasn’t the original plan.
In March, Erica Mehrl was named to replace Eric Schick as the Wildcats new coach. Schick led Lexington to a pair of state championship appearances in 2019 and 2022. Mehrl asked Erica Hardin, who had interviewed for the head job, to be on her staff as the Wildcats’ JV coach. Hardin was previously the head coach at Beechwood Middle School and coached club volleyball. Before that, she spent time at River Bluff as an assistant coach.
When Mehrl became pregnant and chose to step down as head coach, Hardin moved up. Mehrl remained on staff as a volunteer.
Erica Hardin had previous varsity coaching experience. She was head coach for three years at North Myrtle Beach High, where she met her husband.
Shortly after they were married, Erica became pregnant and the couple moved to Lexington when Blair was hired as the second River Bluff football coach in program history.
“The conversations that Blair and I had from the beginning was that Blair was going to support me from wherever I am and wanted to do,” Erica said. “I told him River Bluff already has a coach, so I would like to establish myself somewhere on my own.”
Blair has been on board with the move to the rival Wildcats. He even wore a white and pink Lexington shirt (with a River Bluff helmet sticker on it) and green Gators shorts to the schools’ first volleyball match earlier this season. At Thursday’s rematch, he wore a River Bluff green sweatshirt.
“My players didn’t like the (Lexington) shirt at all,” Blair said. “I have been at River Bluff eight years, but I want her to have success as well. It is a good problem, but I want both to do well.”
Blair tries to remain neutral with his emotions when Lexington and River Bluff play each other. Otherwise he’s likely to hear from one of the schools’ fan bases.
Erica’s Lexington team captured the volleyball region championship Thursday with a thrilling four-set win over the Gators. Blair was one of the first to congratulate his wife on the championship accomplishment, even after she did the “Gator chomp” motion in the huddle with her team after the win.
River Bluff students and players used the Gator chomp to celebrate a big play or victory. Sometimes, an opposing team uses it as a gesture to mock or rile up the Gators. Hardin warned her players not to do it during the match (some still did). After the match, it was fair game.
“They know my history with River Bluff. That pumped them up even more,” Erica said, “for them to see me so happy and proud of them.”
Finding time for date night in busy sports seasons
While Blair was totally in favor of Erica’s move to coach at Lexington, it was their three children, especially the couple’s oldest, who needed some convincing.
Gracelan compared her mom’s move to if she had switched allegiances from the Gamecocks, who the Hardins are diehard fans of, to rival Clemson.
“She had to have the conversation with the little girls,” Blair said. “Gracelan was not excited at all. She had to do some counseling.”
Added Erica: “They said, ‘That is like you pulling for Clemson. How could you do that?’ ... But the girls have been good sports about it.”
As time has gone on, the girls have warmed up to the change. Gracelan was at the match Thursday. They now enjoy the best of both worlds, tagging along with mom at Lexington volleyball or with dad at River Bluff football practice.
With both the Hardins’ sports going on at the same time, it creates a hectic schedule for the family. Blair usually gets the girls up and going in the morning before he heads to River Bluff. Erica then takes them to school before going to work at her youngest daughter’s preschool.
The Hardins usually don’t see each other until dinner time each day. Lexington volleyball games are usually Tuesday and Thursday, and River Bluff plays football games on Friday.
They try for date nights on Wednesdays during the season, even if they go out wearing their respective school colors.
“I tell her she doesn’t have to wear so much Lexington stuff,” Blair said. “But she is happy and has a good group of girls. … We are both very blessed.”
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