Q&A with Head Football Coach Adam Khavari

Where are you from? My hometown is Kannapolis, NC.

Where did you attend college? East Carolina University

How did you get into coaching? 

After I got out of High School I missed playing and wanted to be in a career where I still worked with athletes. I started out majoring in Exercise Science thinking I would end up being a team doctor. However, once I started my coursework I realized I wanted to be more hands on with the development of players rather than work in the medical field. That’s what I enjoy most about coaching is seeing players develop their skills and develop from boys into young men.

Who are the people that have influenced you the most as a coach?

The two most influential people in my coaching career have been my high school strength and conditioning coach Todd Hagler, and one of the coaches I had the pleasure of coaching with a few years ago Steve Johnson. Coach Hagler taught me the values of organization, discipline, integrity, and hard work. He was always prepared, always ahead of the curve, always enthusiastic and passionate about doing his job. Coach Johnson really taught me a lot of the ins and outs of running a program, how to manage players, and develop strategies on and off the field for success.

What's the best advice you've been given? What advice do you have for an aspiring athlete?

The best advice I have been given is to stay humble. Don’t let your ego get in the way. Not everything is personal. Do what you think is right and make decisions based on what’s best for the players and the program.

My advice for an athlete is to take care of business in the classroom early. I can tell you so many stories of athletes who were gifted on the field that put themselves in a bind getting to the next level because they didn’t take things seriously in the classroom when they were younger. As you get to your junior and senior year, when you’re being recruited, your academic resume is already set in a lot of ways from your freshmen and sophomore years. If you haven’t done what you were supposed to early on though, you can really put a lot of pressure on yourself to perform in the classroom as well as continue to be successful on the field. As you become an upperclassman, schools want to recruit you. If you’ve set yourself up with a good GPA, schools that like you on the field won’t be hesitant to offer you.

What are your expectations for the program here at CHHS?

My expectations for our program are to develop our kids to take them from being average to good and from good to great. I want our kids to be successful on the field, in the classroom, and in the community. I want to prepare them to be successful at life when they leave us. I want them to know that we as a coaching staff love them tremendously and are always here for them.

If everyone in our program will buy in--get better every day, work hard, and trust one another--the wins and losses will take care of themselves.