Although sports are not in full swing, several changes have occurred in the Guilford Athletics Department. Interim Athletic Director Dr. Sharon Beverly welcomed two new interim head coaches, Brad Davis (football) and Maxx Aiken (men’s lacrosse). 

Aiken is originally from Charlotte, North Carolina. He graduated from Greensboro College in 2013 and joined Guilford Athletics as the offensive coordinator for men’s lacrosse in 2019. He is also the Director of Coaching at North Carolina Fusion. 

“Having the opportunity to lead the men’s lacrosse program is truly an honor and I hope the 2020-2021 Men’s Lacrosse Program makes the alumni and school proud,” Aiken said. 

The Guilford men’s lacrosse team held a 6-2 record last year before the season was cut short due to COVID-19. The team also had the second best record in overall games at the Old Dominion Athletic Conference last year. 

For the spring 2021 season, Aiken’s goal is to “create an environment that allows our men to develop into the best versions of themselves as possible, academically and athletically.” 

Along with other coaches, Aiken will have to learn to navigate the upcoming season amidst COVID-19. The pandemic has necessitated modifications and new policies across all athletic teams in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

“Our ultimate strategy is to be creative and progressive during these challenging times and allow for the ‘compound effect’ to work for our athletes as individuals, and as a collective unit,“ Aiken explained. 

I’m really excited for this upcoming season and I can’t think of a better coach than Coach Aiken,” said senior men’s lacrosse player Nick Homcomp. “As a team we have to face adversity and Coach Aiken is the guy to lead us through it.” 

Guilford alum Brad Davis ’08 has been named the interim head coach for men’s football. This will be his 17th year at Guilford College. 

“Guilford has become my second home,” Davis said. 

Before coaching, Davis was a criminal justice major and a top offensive lineman at Guilford from 2003 to 2007. He received numerous awards during his college career, including the Charlie Griffin Award. 

“He’s been at Guilford since he started playing here in 2003, which shows how much he cares about this place,” said junior defensive lineman Brooks Stemple. 

Davis has been the assistant football coach at Guilford for 12 seasons. Aside from his position as head coach, he also serves as the offensive line coach, recruiting coordinator and run-game coordinator. 

“The transition from an assistant coach to now head coach has been challenging but not as challenging as I first thought,” Davis said. “Being able to know the players from the get-go has made the transition much easier.”

“He is going to do things a little bit differently and make some changes that we’re excited about,” said Stemple. “As for this upcoming season, we are going to continue to work very hard this fall and we’re all ready to play the sport we love and be together again.” 

Coach Davis continues to build his legacy through the goals he has set for this upcoming season. His biggest priority is his athletes’ education.

“I told the team that if they did not do what they were supposed to do in the classroom, that they were not going to get the opportunity to prove themselves on the field,“ Davis explained.

“The next goal that we talked about was that we are going to be the hardest working team in the ODAC this season and for the seasons to come in the future,” Davis continued. “We are going to not only be the hardest working team in the ODAC but also the most disciplined team in the ODAC. We are going to be where we need to be when we need to be there. And… the final goal is to go out and win an ODAC championship this spring.”

This year looks very different for the Guilford football team due to COVID-19. The NCAA has postponed the football season and the ODAC conference until spring 2021. 

“The plans for the spring during a pandemic (are) simply to stay tight as a team and support each other day in and day out,” Davis said. “If we are able to do this, we are going to stay healthy and safe during this weird time.”