Coaching Staff
Head Coach:
Cort Radford
Coach Radford, in his first year at Asheville High, returns to the mountains after a successful stop as the Head Coach at Chase High School (Forest City, NC). Radford helped lead a huge turn around in a once struggling program and led Chase to a 10-3 record in 2019 which included a second round playoff run and was voted as the 2019 SWAC Coach of the Year. In 2018 he won the “Carolina Panthers Coach of the Week” for their performance against RS Central partnered with the large community service projects led by the Chase Football team. Before his time at Chase, Coach Radford served as the Defensive Coordinator for Crest High School (Shelby, NC) for two years. His last year at Crest the team gave up 10.8 points per game and had a defense that sent 9 of his 11 starters to play football at the collegiate level. Prior to his time at Crest, Coach Radford had stops at Erwin, Ben L. Smith and Bunn High School. Coach Radford also has experience coaching at the collegiate level as he began his career as a student assistant at Appalachian State University. Radford served under Hall of Fame Head Coach Jerry Moore and spent time working with the Offensive Line under Coach Shawn Elliott (Current Head Coach at Georgia State) as well as working the Wide Receivers under Coach Lance Taylor (Current Running Back Coach at Notre Dame). Coach Radford’s connection to the college game and the relationships he has built with college coaches has played a major role in helping his players get exposure and a chance to play football at the collegiate level. Radford is married to his wife Casey and together they have a daughter, Anna (4), and a son, Charle (1).
Offensive Coordinator
QB Coach:
Slade Singleton
Slade Singleton is in his 11th year coaching football. He comes to Asheville after being at Enka High School. Coach Singleton has helped multiple quarterbacks earn a college scholarship and has had offenses ranked in the top 10 in the state. He believes that being able to coach is his opportunity to change lives for the better, on and off the field. He is married to Jessica and has three children; Natalie, Lilly, and Sean.
Defensive Coordinator OLB Coach:
Cody Cheek
Coach Cheek grew up in Weaverville, North Carolina where he played center for North Buncombe High School. He was selected to the North Carolina East West All Star Game after his senior year. He went on to Mars Hill College to play football, but finished his academic career at Appalachian State University. He has been coaching High School Football for 10 years. 3 Years came at North Buncombe High School. The other 7 were at Erwin High School. While at Erwin, his teams never missed the playoffs. He recently left Erwin High School where he was the Defensive Coordinator for the last 3 years. He has coached Offensive Line, Defensive Line, Inside and Outside Linebackers. He will be coaching Outside Linebackers and he will be the Defensive Coordinator for the Cougars.
Wide Receivers:
Chavis Williams
Chavis Williams joins the Asheville High coaching staff serving as the Wide Receiver Coach. Williams is in his first year coaching and is a recent graduate of Tusculum University where he started at Receiver. Coach Williams attended Erwin High School where he was a standout player and received many honors. His Erwin teams never missed the playoffs and Coach Williams was selected to the East-West All-Star game his senior year.
Defensive Backs:
Jake Cardillo
Coach Cardillo joins the Cougars coaching staff from Pinecrest High School in Pinehurst, NC. He played football and graduated from AC Reynolds and continued his academic career at Appalachian State. He is in his 4th year coaching and has had stops at Avery County, and East Montgomery as well. During his years, he has experience coaching Receivers, Linebackers, DB's, and Special Teams.
Tight Ends:
Logan Craig
Logan Craig joins the Asheville High coaching staff serving as the Tight Ends Coach. Craig’s previous experience includes being a student assistant coach at Western Carolina working under Head Coach Mark Spier and Offensive Line Coach John Holt. Craig also serves as an assistant baseball coach.
Defensive Line:
Justin Polizzi
Justin Polizzi is in his second season on the Asheville High School football coaching staff as the Special Teams Coordinator/JV Head Coach/Defensive Line Coach. During the 2019 campaign, Polizzi Coached WNC’s leading wide receiver, Famous Pasley.Prior to Asheville, Polizzi was the Offensive Coordinator at Walter M. Williams High School. While at Williams High School, the Bulldogs earned their highest playoff seed in 5 years while increasing team victories and reducing offensive turnovers. Polizzi spent four seasons with the Mars Hill University football program in numerous, varying roles. Polizzi coached tight ends and was an assistant to defensive backs for the Lions from 2013-14 before taking his talents to East Henderson High School, where he was the Defensive Coordinator and linebackers coach, as well as Special Teams Coordinator and coach of the offensive line. In 2016, Polizzi returned to Mars Hill and oversaw the running back corps for the Lions led by Jamel Harbison. Harbison led the South Atlantic Conference in yards per game with 109.5 and was second in the league with 1,095 yards rushed. For the 2017 campaign, Polizzi took over the wide receiving coaching duties. Polizzi coached two of the top three receivers in the SAC, Keshaun Taylor and Craig Rucker. In all, Polizzi has 12 years of coaching experience in many different ranks of football, including time in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Calgary Stampeders and the Albany Conquest of Arenafootball. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Sports Management from The College of Saint Rose in 2009 before obtaining his Master of Science in Recreation and Sports Studies from Ohio University in 2012. In 2017, Polizzi married Monica Polizzi, assistant athletic director for Mars Hill University.
Running Backs:
Gene Hammonds
Gene Hammonds returns to the Asheville High sideline for another year as an assistant coach working with the Running Backs. Coach Hammonds is in Asheville Legend and has coached for the Cougars for decades. Hammonds was a standout player himself and has coached many great players at Asheville through the years. Most notably, Coach Hammonds was instrumental in the development of John Avery who went on to be a first round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins.
Defensive Line:
Brandon Duinkerken
Brandon Duinkerken joins the Asheville High coaching staff helping with the Defensive Line. Coach Duinkerken was recently an assistant coach at Asheville Middle School where he helped guide and develop Cougars at the middle school level.
Offensive Line:
Bill Silver
Bill Silver returns to the Asheville High coach staff serving as the Offensive Line Coach. Coach Silver has been on the Cougar sideline for twenty years and helped lead the way to the great legacy and tradition that is Asheville High Football. Silver was a standout player himself earning himself a roster spot for the Houston Oilers.
Inside Linebackers:
Adrian Clark
Adrian Clark returns to the Asheville High coaching staff serving as the Inside Linebackers Coach. Coach Clark’s previous stop was at Crest High School, with Coach Radford, serving as the Inside Linebackers Coach. Clark’s coaching ability on the field and in the weight room helped guide Crest to back to back 9-4 seasons. Coach Clark’s previous stops also include TC Roberson, Enka and Burns High School. Clark was a standout linebacker for the prestigious Richmond High School leading his team to a state championship his Senior Year. He continued his playing career at Gardner Webb University.
Offensive Line:
Craig Loveland
Craig Loveland returns to the Asheville High coaching staff helping with the Offensive Line. Coach Loveland has spent many years with the Cougars and has been instrumental in Asheville High Football’s success. Loveland was a great lineman himself and played in college at Western Carolina University.
Kicking Coach:
Anthony Brenner
Anthony Brenner joins the Asheville High coaching staff serving as the Kicking Coach. Coach Breener has a lot of experience in training kickers and currently coaches soccer at Carolina Day. Brenner was a good kicker himself spending time playing in the Arena League.