Jarvis Davis named football coach at West Mecklenburg

West Mecklenburg promoted defensive coordinator Jarvis Davis to head football coach on Monday, making the announcement during assembly in the school’s auditorium.

Davis, also the girls’ basketball coach, replaces Jeff Caldwell, who coached six seasons at West Mecklenburg. The Hawks were 5-7 last season.

As a free safety in high school, Davis helped S.C. power Spartanburg to two state football championships and a 30-0 record his junior and senior seasons. He played in the 1995 Shrine Bowl before becoming an All-American at Division II Fayetteville State.

“We need to change the culture of West Mecklenburg athletics,” Davis, 37, told more than 150 current and potential football players Monday morning. “We’re no longer losing games in the fourth quarter. We’ll be bigger, faster and stronger. Take pride in West Meck. Get ready to increase the intensity with your brothers.”

Before coming to Charlotte in 2014, Davis was defensive coordinator at S.C. 1A Hunter-Kinard-Tyler High in Norway. He coached on football teams that won three conference titles and won two state titles. As girls’ basketball coach, he was three-time league coach of the year. As track coach, he led Hunter-Kinard-Tyler to two league titles and a state runner-up finish.

At West Mecklenburg, he’ll try to build a consistent winner. Since the start of the 1992 season, the Hawks have had nine winning seasons. In six seasons since 1992, they won two or fewer games.

“We’re excited to have coach Davis leading the student-athletes at West Meck,” Hawks athletics director Vernon Hunter said. “He exemplifies the leadership, work ethic and organizational skills (that are) needed to be successful here.

“I feel Davis will implement progression, community outreach and discipline within the football program.”

This story was originally published January 11, 2016 at 10:57 AM with the headline "Jarvis Davis named football coach at West Mecklenburg."