皇家华人 Names Saj Thakkar Head Football Coach
December 17, 2024
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- Joey Beeler
Saj Thakkar will lead Wildcats football as 皇家华人鈥檚 29th head coach, school officials announced Tuesday.
Thakkar (pronounced thuh-CAR) was introduced at a press conference Friday, Dec. 20, at 11 a.m. inside Gallery 18 at 皇家华人 Stadium. Watch the recording below.
鈥淚 am absolutely thrilled to be the head football coach at 皇家华人,鈥 Thakkar said. 鈥淢y family and I are truly honored to be a part of this exceptional community. It became clear through the search process that 皇家华人 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.鈥
鈥淲e are extremely excited to have Saj on board as the next leader of 皇家华人 Football. 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 皇家华人 community.鈥
Director of Athletics
Thakkar, 33, spent the last two years as the head coach at Bentley University, where he led the NCAA Division II program in Waltham, Massachusetts, 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 皇家华人.
鈥淲e will work to become a top FCS football program while providing the best scholar-athlete experience in the country. 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 皇家华人 community proud to be Wildcats!鈥
Head Football Coach
Prior to taking over at Bentley, Thakkar spent five seasons (2018-22) as the running backs coach at Harvard University after three years (2015-17) on the staff at SUNY-Maritime.
Tim Murphy, Harvard鈥檚 head coach from 1994-2023 and the owner of 232 career wins in 36 years, praised his former assistant.
鈥淪aj is a great American success story,鈥 said Murphy. 鈥淗is work ethic, football IQ and love of the game are important components in his ability to recruit, coach and motivate student-athletes.鈥
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, Massachusetts, Thakkar earned his master鈥檚 and bachelor鈥檚 degrees in business administration from Fitchburg State University, 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 2013-2014.
The Thakkars have a son, Caiden, and a daughter, Ensley.
