In the six weeks after the Baylor School football coaching job came open, more than 100 candidates applied.
One name in particular always stood out to Baylor headmaster Chris Angel.
After working together for 17 years at the Hammond School in Columbia, South Carolina, Angel could recite the accomplishments of Erik Kimrey from memory. So after an on-campus visit and interview, when Kimrey informed Angel recently that he would accept the job offer, the decision was clear.
Thursday morning that decision was made public as Kimrey, who was an assistant at the University of South Carolina last season, was introduced as head coach of the Red Raiders.
"We had narrowed it down, interviewed several and got it to a handful of finalists," said Angel, who added that one candidate had been on campus last week to interview and two more were scheduled for later this week. "Certainly we knew it would be a huge win for us if Erik agreed to come, and once he did I shut down the search.
"When he called to say he was coming, I was ecstatic. The relationship I have with him played a huge part in this decision. I've seen what he's capable of doing, and we have worked well together previously. Fortunately I have the bonus of knowing the quality person he is as well as the type coach he is. There's no one who was more qualified for this position than he was."
Kimrey's qualifications checked off two important boxes for Baylor: He has a championship pedigree as well as experience coaching in college football's toughest conference.
In his 17 seasons in charge of the Hammond program, he guided the SkyHawks to 12 state championships, including a state-record six consecutive at one point. That total is the most by any coach in South Carolina prep football history, and Kimrey was also the youngest coach to reach 100 wins in Palmetto State history.
He left that program with a 194-20 overall record to accept a position as tight ends coach at South Carolina, his collegiate alma mater, last season. He helped first-year head coach Shane Beamer's Gamecocks to a 7-6 record that included Southeastern Conference wins against Auburn and Florida as well as a victory in the Duke's Mayo Bowl.
"As soon as I heard this job had opened up, I sort of knew to expect a call from Chris and that I'd have to make a decision," Kimrey said. "I wouldn't have even considered leaving if not for the relationship I have with Chris and the trust I have in him.
"I made a visit to Baylor about 15 years ago, and it left an impression for sure. I had an incredible experience at South Carolina and I love what Coach Beamer is building there. I was able to leave on good terms and be just a fan of theirs again. You always know an SEC job has a shelf life, and this is just a better fit for me and my family and what's best for us."
Kimrey played quarterback for his father at Dutch Fork High School in Columbia, where he set five South Carolina high school passing records as a senior and was the state's offensive player of the year. His college career with the Gamecocks was highlighted by a dramatic 2000 upset of Mississippi State in which he came off the bench to replace an injured Phil Petty and completed a fourth-down fade pass to Jermale Kelly for the winning score.
He later spent two years as an offensive graduate assistant on Lou Holtz's South Carolina staff, then took over the Hammond School program in 2004, where he remained through the 2020 season before rejoining the Gamecocks as part of Beamer's first staff.
Kimrey takes over the Red Raiders program for Phil Massey, who was let go in early December after 16 seasons that included TSSAA Division II-AAA state runner-up finishes in 2010-11. Massey was named the new head coach at Chattanooga Christian earlier on Thursday.
"I've followed Baylor through the years, so I knew how impressive the campus is and the school community and support," Kimrey said. "All of those things are what made it a very attractive job and place to work.
"I can even remember scores of their games against McCallie. I know all about that rivalry, and I'm looking forward to being a part of that atmosphere. The biggest thing we can do is to be the best version of Baylor that we can be. If we do that, really good things are going to happen."
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293. Follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.