Meet Cherokee Warriors head football coach Adam Holley
CANTON, Ga. — It was after 10:00PM on Friday night and two adorable, little blonde kids raced around in the green grass of Creekview’s field. The Warriors had just scrimmaged the Grizzlies, and Coach Holley’s first post-game interview as Head Coach of Cherokee football was just wrapping up. Football is a way of life here in the South and Cherokee County’s Friday nights were back in action.
The past year has seen some big changes for the football program at Cherokee High School. A new Varsity coach was hired for the first time in over a decade and the community is very lucky with the selection. Adam Holley has stepped up to his first role as Head Coach after nine years coaching under men he calls his mentors. Coach Fabrizio, Coach Foster, and Coach Stephenson have all passed on many years of coaching tips, tricks, and wisdom, and Adam often asks himself, “How would Coach Fabrizio handle this?” Over the years, he has learned to be extremely detailed in preparation and believes that there is no substitute for hard work.
Growing up in Fayetteville, Georgia, Adam knew football better than most. His father was a high school football coach and from a very early age, the sport was a significant part of his life. He was the little kid that was born and raised in the coach’s office. Adam grew up watching his dad on the sidelines and knew as a child that he wanted to continue down the same path as his father. Watching his father coach helped shape him into the man he is today and has, ultimately, led him to his newest job as Cherokee’s head coach.
During his teenage years, Adam stepped on to the field in uniform himself, playing football as quarterback for the Starrs Mill Panthers. As a senior, he led the team to the Georgia AAAA championship game in 2010. Adam continued his football career at West Georgia, where he met his wife, Shelby.
Adam finished college and fulfilled his childhood dreams of becoming a coach, and to top it off, was able to work alongside his father on the football field. Adam still talks football with his dad almost every day and reminisced about one of his very favorite coaching memories: winning eight games as an offensive coordinator under Coach Bryan Holley, his father.
In January, Coach Holley stepped in to the gym at Cherokee High School and started spending time with his new Warrior family. He has an incredible vision for his team and is very excited to be a part of this community and town. Coach Holley says he was fortunate enough to come into a job with a very talented senior group who are ready to make big moves this season. Over the summer, the team spent countless hours training in both the weight room and on the field; the coaches made a conscious effort to focus on conditioning and heavy lifting. “All success starts in the weight room. We lifted four days a week all through the off season, and I believe this is the key to being successful in season,” Coach Holley explained. Holley hopes the boys learn to live by his tagline “Every Edge. Every Time.” clarifying that it means to be detail-oriented in all that you do. Just like in life, in football there are so many edges that can cost you the game. He hopes the boys learn to press every edge, every time.
When he’s not in coach mode, Adam can be found spending time with his beautiful wife, Shelby, and their two young kids, Josie (4) and Coy (2). With another baby boy due in November, the Holleys are soaking up as much time together as they can despite a very hectic fall schedule. “Saturdays are very special in the fall, and we don’t take any second together for granted,” states Shelby. Warrior fans can expect to see the whole Holley family in the stands cheering on their coach on Friday nights. The sweet mom of almost three packs the “biggest bag” full of snacks, toys, and coloring books, trying everything she can to keep their babies busy so she can tune into the game. Shelby loves that all of the hard work put in by Adam, his coaching staff, and the team is on display each Friday night for the community to see. “I love being married to a high school football coach! It has its ups and downs, but we wouldn’t trade this life for anything. Seeing the difference that he is making in the lives of his players makes it all worth it,” says Shelby. She goes on to say that seeing the players interact with their kids makes them feel like it’s all one big Warrior family. At the end of his career, Coach Holley hopes to be remembered as a coach who truly loved his players and did all he could to help them become successful in life.
The Cherokee High School students are excited to see what the new season brings and welcome the Holley family to the Canton community. The program will have some new traditions and rituals before each of the home games, such as the “Warrior Walk,” and encourages all the fans to come fill the stands to cheer on our team. With one win already on the books, the future looks bright.
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