Atlantic Collegiate Academy

Atlantic Collegiate Academy looked to the Pinnacle Charter Academies family to identify Its first football coach, selecting Antoine Rivens from the Oceanside Collegiate Academy staff to lead the Armada.
 
Rivens brings 31 years of coaching experience with 22 of those years spent at the collegiate level. He spent the last nine years coaching high school football, including six at Oceanside where he has served as Assistant Head Coach, Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach.
 
"I’m truly blessed to have this opportunity to be the head coach at ACA," Rivens said. "I’d like to thank William Payne, the Athletic Director, Principal Mike Lorenz and Pinnacle Charter Academies. I’m very excited to accept the challenge of building a new football program as ACA’s first head football coach. My ultimate goal is to build a championship caliber program and I’m ready to get to work."
 
His ability and experience in program building was a major selling point for Payne.
 
"Candidates like Antoine Rivens do not come along every day and we had many strong candidates apply for this position," Payne said. "Ultimately, it was his proven background in helping build programs from the ground up that made him stand out from the talented pack. Over his more than 20 years of coaching experience, the ability to develop student-athletes, and his complete dedication to creating a winning culture on and off the field, made him the perfect person to lead Armada football.
 
"His commitment to Pinnacle Charter Academies has been on full display during his time at Oceanside and we know he will bring the same commitment and enthusiasm to Atlantic. We are all extremely fortunate to have Antione at the helm of this program and being a representative of our school."
 
His experience within startup programs will pay dividends for the Armada because Rivens has a great understanding of the priorities for his new program.
 
"My first priority is to collaborate with the administration regarding the expectations and direction of Armada football," Rivens said. Next, I’d like to build a staff who wants to be part of and supports my vision of starting this program from the ground up. Then I would like to schedule a meeting with our student-athletes and their parents to formally introduce myself and share my mission, values, expectations and excitement of our football program."
 
Lorenz was Impressed with both the results Rivens helped generate at Oceanside as well the care he takes with molding young players.
 
"Coach Rivens is the perfect fit to be our head football coach at Atlantic Collegiate Academy," Lorenz said. "Coming from Oceanside Collegiate Academy, he knows the expectations and understands what it is going to take to create a successful football program. The best part of Coach Rivens is how much he cares about his players. He will be a great role model for our young men at ACA."
 
Rivens began his collegiate coaching career at Livingstone College as the Offensive Line Coach and Assistant Head Coach, helping the Blue Bears to back-to-back CIAA Conference championships. He had two stints at North Carolina Central University, first as Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Line coach then as Defensive Line coach and Run Game Coordinator. In 2003, he became a member of Coastal Carolina University’s inaugural coaching staff, serving as Assistant Head Coach, Defensive Line Coach and team budget and travel coordinator.
 
Rivens moved on to Johnson C. Smith University in 2010 as Run Game Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach. During his collegiate coaching career he has mentored several all-conference athletes and athletes who continued their careers in the NFL.
 
He began his high school coaching career in 2014, at Loris High School, as Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Line Coach. He coached two All-Region offensive linemen, and helped the Lions earn a spot in the State Semifinals.
 
In 2017, he joined the football staff at Oceanside Collegiate Academy. During his tenure at OCA, the Landsharks went from a no-win season to making it to the Lower State Championship in 2019 and then to winning the Lower State Championship in 2022. The Landsharks were ranked No. 1 in the Lowcountry Region in 2019, 2020 and 2022.
 
"We did something special at Oceanside," Rivens said. "We took over an 0-9 team in 2017 and built it into a dominant football program that played for a 2A state championship in 2022. Starting a football program is something I have experienced before, and I truly believe my experience in the last six years at Oceanside Collegiate, and how we developed a football program, has prepared me for this next step."
 
Rivens coached 10 All-Region linemen over the last five years and coached All-American and 5-Star Athlete, offensive tackle Monroe Freeling, who was the number one prospect in South Carolina’s 2023 recruiting class. Freeling was one of the prized signees for the University of Georgia, where he is currently enrolled. He Is one of many who have played for Rivens to earn scholarships in NCAA Division I and Division II.
 
"I am happy Coach Rivens is getting this great opportunity to be the Head Coach at Atlantic," OCA head coach Chad Wilkes said. "It’s a home run hire for Atlantic Collegiate and they couldn’t have picked a better man for the job. Of course, it’s also bittersweet for us at OCA because he was such an integral part of our program, and he will be missed.
 
"Coach Rivens has been someone I have leaned on since I came to OCA and I am grateful for the support he has given me. The one constant as OCA Head Coaches have come and gone has been Coach Rivens. He was always there making sure the offensive line was performing at a high level. He deserves this opportunity and I’m excited to see what he does with the Atlantic football program in the future."
 
The respect and admiration for Rivens at Oceanside goes far beyond his Impact on the football program.
 
"I am excited for Coach Rivens to continue his journey at our sister school, ACA," Oceanside principal Christina Brown said. "They are not only getting a stellar coach, but a trusted colleague and thoughtful leader. His impact on our students and staff has created a strong bond and he will always be considered family."
 
A 1992 graduate of the University of South Carolina with a degree In Criminal Justice, Rivens was a four-year starter on the Gamecocks' offensive line, earning Academic All-SEC honors as a senior while serving as a team captain. He went on to play professionally for two seasons, one In the Canadian Football League and one in arena ball.
 
He is a member of the American football Coaches Association and the South Carolina High School Coaches Association.
 
Rivens was a three-sport athlete at West Charlotte High School, In Charlotte, N.C., where he played for legendary coach, Bruce Hardin. He and his wife, Tuletia, have been married for 29 years and are the proud parents of two daughters, Ariana (29) and Taryn (21).