From Davidson Sports Information | DavidsonWildcats.com — Davidson College will introduce its new head football coach, Saj Thakkar (pronounced thuh-CAR), Friday at 11 a.m. inside Gallery 18, which is located at Davidson College Stadium.
The event is open to the public and will also be streamed live on youtube.com.
Thakkar becomes the 29th head football coach at Davidson. He replaces Scott Abell, who resigned last month to take the open job at Rice University in Houston.
“I am absolutely thrilled to be the head football coach at Davidson College,” Thakkar said in a release. “My family and I are truly honored to be a part of this exceptional community. It became clear through the search process that Davidson is committed to excellence on and off the football field. I would especially like to thank my wife, Bobbi-Jo, for her constant encouragement throughout this journey and to Director of Athletics Chris Clunie and President Hicks for this tremendous opportunity.”
“We are extremely excited to have Saj on board as the next leader of Davidson Football,” said Chris Clunie, Davidson vice president and director of athletics. “He understands the high academic and athletic balance and is committed to building an innovative, dynamic, and sustainable championship competitive program. We are thrilled to welcome him and his family to the Davidson community.”
Thakkar, 33, spent the last two years as the head coach at Bentley University, where he led the NCAA Division II program in Waltham, Mass., to a 14-6 overall record, an 11-4 mark in Northeast 10 Conference play and a pair of second-place finishes.
In all, 24 Falcons earned all-league honors under Thakkar, while leading the NE-10 in Academic All-District selections.
In addition, Bentley finished first or second among league leaders in every offensive and defensive statistical category.
Thakkar envisions similar success at Davidson.
“We will work to become a top FCS football program while providing the best scholar-athlete experience in the country,” said Thakkar. “I look forward to meeting and working with our outstanding alumni and campus partners as we strive towards a common goal. Our fans and supporters can expect to see a team that upholds the highest standard of the game. We will make the entire Davidson community proud to be Wildcats!”
Prior to taking over at Bentley, Thakkar spent five seasons (2018-22) as the running backs coach at Harvard after three years (2015-17) on the staff at SUNY Maritime.
Tim Murphy, Harvard’s head coach from 1994 to 2023 and the owner of 232 career wins in 36 years, praised his former assistant.
“Saj is a great American success story,” said Murphy. “His work ethic, football IQ and love of the game are important components in his ability to recruit, coach and motivate student-athletes.”
Thakkar served as an NFL Bill Walsh Fellow with the Atlanta Falcons and Tennessee Titans in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
At SUNY-Maritime, Thakkar spent two years as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. During the 2017 season, the Thakkar-led offense averaged 37 points per game with 10 offensive players earning All-Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) honors.
A native of Wakefield, Mass., Thakkar earned his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in business administration from Fitchburg State (Mass.), where he was a three-time academic all-conference selection as a wide receiver and quarterback. He coached the running backs and special teams at his alma mater from 2013 to 2014.
The Thakkars have a son, Caiden, and a daughter, Ensley.
