UCA hires Wheatmore’s Andrew Davis as its new AD

ASHEBORO — The timing may not have been great, but the opportunity was too good to pass up, so Wheatmore High School Athletic Director Andrew Davis is heading to Uwharrie Charter Academy.

Davis was named the school system’s new athletic director and will assume that role in mid-September or earlier if WHS administrators can find a replacement. 

Davis will take over for David Hayes, who accepted an assistant football position with Thomasville High School. Hayes continued at UCA until last Friday.

“We expected Randolph County to hold me to the 30 days considering the timing, and I don’t blame them one bit,” Davis said from WHS, where he’s still performing AD duties there. “It stinks for UCA, which filled the role but doesn’t have that person on campus. It stinks for Wheatmore because they have to fill a spot and it stinks for me because I’m not there yet.”

Davis, who spent 12 years at the middle school level in Archdale-Trinity and then three more at Wheatmore High School as the Warriors’ athletic director, said he became interested in the UCA position once he heard Hayes was leaving.

“I had said numerous times to various people that it would be a pretty nice job from someone outside looking in,” Davis said. “It was something I was interested in. There were a couple of reservations and when I looked into the information and the job description, I reached out to (UCA Superintendent Dr. Chris Wheat) and we talked and I felt it was a good fit for myself.”

One of the reservations Davis said he looked into closely was the time he would have spent away from his family and if that would increase with a move to UCA.

“The biggest thing (at UCA), not saying I don’t have it now, is the support from Dr. Wheat and the administration,” Davis said. “There are four administrators at the high school, three in middle school and they have someone who does a great job with the youth football program. I am not going to lose more time with my family.”

Davis will handle AD duties at the high school, middle school and lead the youth football program.

A graduate from Anderson University in South Carolina, Davis said his previous experiences at the middle school and high school levels will benefit him at UCA.

“Not saying I’m an expert at either one, but I have experience at both and that is going to be beneficial,” Davis said. “I wouldn’t trade my time at Wheatmore for anything. The transition from middle school to high school taught me a lot. When you get to the high school level, you learn real quick that the athletic director job is more about what you can do on a computer than manual labor.”

Davis said one of his top priorities when he arrives at UCA will be to fill the vacant wrestling coaching position. The Eagles have won four straight NCHSAA dual team championships, but have not filled the coaching vacancy from last spring.

“Everything I have heard about the coaching staff at UCA has been nothing but positive,” Davis said. “But I can say the same thing about the coaches at Wheatmore. All the coaches we have in the various sports, I can’t say enough good things about them.”

Davis said getting the school ready to compete in jayvee football, which is scheduled for the 2027 season, is also high on his list of priorities. There are fund raisers to have, a coaching staff to build and all the steps to putting together a high school football program that must be met.