NCHSAA Foundation honors standout coaches, athletic directors

This spring, the N.C. High School Athletic Association Foundation announced the winners of the 2026 Dave Harris Athletic Director of Excellence and the 2026 Toby Webb Outstanding Coach Awards.

The Harris Award was presented to Brian Carver, the athletic director at Enka High School, and Joe Sharrow, the athletic director from Felton Grove. The Webb Award was presented to Franklin High School head football coach Josh Brooks and Havelock wrestling head coach Chase Holleman.

2026 Dave Harris Athletic Director Award of Excellence

Per the NCHSAA, the Dave Harris Award of Excellence is given in memory of its namesake. Harris was the former system athletic director for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. According to a statement from the NCHSAA Foundation, the award seeks to honor an athletic director that positively impacted his or her respective county or school on a statewide level by demonstrating admirable qualities such as integrity, fairness, leadership, resourcefulness and more. 

Carver has been the athletic director at Enka for better than two decades and has been a coach for 36 years. He has served on the NCHSAA Board of Directors and has held leadership roles with the North Carolina Basketball Coaches Association. In the past, Carver was the recipient of the Webb Award and the NCADA Athletic Director of Excellence Award.

"What separates Carver is his students-first approach, building programs centered on accountability, sportsmanship, and long-term development while mentoring coaches and creating an environment where student-athletes can succeed both on and off the field," the NCHSAA Foundation said in a statement. "His influence extends beyond campus through community initiatives such as Operation Christmas Child and the Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout, which has raised more than $210,000 and reflects his commitment to using athletics as a platform to serve others."

"Carver’s career reflects sustained excellence, leadership, and service, and he continues to set the standard for positively impacting high school athletics."

Sharrow has 14 years of experience as an athletic director across multiple school systems. He served at Jordan High School where he fostered a Wells Fargo Cup-winning program before making the jump to Felton Grove in July 2025.

When he started out his stint as an AD, Sharrow was the youngest person in the state to hold such a position. He got his start at Southern Vance and then Vance County High School. He even helped with the consolidation of Northern and Southern Vance's athletic departments in 2018 when Vance County High School formed.

2026 Toby Webb Outstanding Coach Award

The Webb Award is named in memory of the former Albemarle football coach. According to the NCHSAA Foundation, the award honors up to two coaches "who have impacted the lives of student-athletes and students in general by encouraging them to succeed, helping to develop self-confidence, ambition, a sound work ethic, and other skills necessary for success in the students’ later lives."

Brooks has been the head football coach at Franklin for 24 years. He has accumulated over 150 career wins with 15 playoff appearances, multiple conference championships and one trip to the regional finals.

Holleman has 18 years under his belt with both boys and girls wrestling. At Havelock, Holleman's teams have collected over 350 dual team wins, multiple conference titles, regional titles, a girls regional runner-up, and numerous individual champions.

"Beyond competitive success, Holleman has played a significant role in advancing wrestling across North Carolina," the NCHSAA Foundation said. "He serves as Vice President of the North Carolina Wrestling Coaches Association and as the North Carolina USA Wrestling Women’s Director and Head Coach of the Women’s National Team, helping expand opportunities and create pathways for female athletes to compete at the highest levels."