Bradford Prep’s first football coach never got to coach a game.
The coach, Adam Webber is also no longer employed by the school, Bradford Prep athletic director Graham Haley confirmed to the Charlotte Observer. Haley said he could not reveal the reason for the change, calling it a personnel matter.
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Webber, 30, was hired earlier this year to coach the 2A charter school in Charlotte, after serving as defensive coordinator at Independence. Webber also coached at Shelby High School in Cleveland County, where he won one state championship as a player and three more as an assistant coach.
Webber told The Observer on Tuesday that he was asked to resign by school administrators last week, before Bradford Prep’s first game against Thomas Jefferson.
In his email, Haley did not give a reason for the change, but said defensive coordinator Jeremy Chandler will be the interim coach at Bradford Prep for the remainder of the season, with the current varsity staff also remaining in place.
“I’m at a loss for words,” Webber told The Observer. “I’m a little confused and devastated. I know God gives His strongest battles to His toughest soldiers.”
Webber told The Observer that he was called to meet with school administrators last Thursday, one day after he appeared on a local podcast during which he made a comment about a Bradford Prep student that the parents of the student perceived as threatening.
The Observer obtained a video copy of the segment.
“It was a joke taken out of context, for sure,” Webber said. “The school didn’t notify me 100 percent on why (they were asking me to resign), but they had just got a report. I still don’t know 100 percent of why.”
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Webber said he reached out to the family of the student before he met with school administrators.
“I sent my apologies,” he said. “And I totally understand how they feel. But it was taken out of context.”
Webber said he hopes to return to the sidelines.
“I definitely want to coach again,” he said. “And I think I can learn from this, most definitely.”
Bradford Prep, playing its first season of varsity football, completed its game against Thomas Jefferson Classical on Monday night. The game began last week, but was postponed due to weather.
Bradford Prep lost 32-22.
The Bears are scheduled to play at Gastonia’s Highland Tech on Friday. Highland Tech (0-1) lost its season opener, 59-24, at Langtree Charter last week.
This story was originally published August 25, 2026 at 1:28 PM with the headline “Why a Charlotte high school football coach resigned before even coaching a game.”
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