New West Charlotte football coach aims to change culture 

CAMERON WILLIAMS | THE CHARLOTTE POST

West Charlotte High football coach D.J. McFadden speaks with junior varsity players on Jan. 21 during a campus meet-and-greet. McFadden, who coached at Independence for five years, succeeds Sam Greiner.

West Charlotte High football will look different in the fall.

New coach D.J. McFadden plans on instilling four foundational principles to help shape a new culture for the team, school and community.

“Our culture is going to be based on discipline, accountability, responsibility and integrity,” he said Wednesday at a campus meet-and-greet, “and it is going to be more process based. I want us to focus on the process of what it takes to get the things that we want done rather than worrying about those end results like a state championship. That is everyone’s goal, but I want to make sure we are living daily by those four principles, and I think everything else will take care of itself.”

Ready to win now

West Charlotte is two seasons removed from winning the NCHSAA 3A state championship under the leadership of Sam Greiner, who was fired last month. McFadden believes the Lions have the talent to continue their run.
“This place is ready [to win],” McFadden said. “This isn’t a rebuild. Sam did a great job with this program in the past and got them to a spot where they are ready to win right now. That is the standard and that isn’t going to change. I am not coming here trying to change [the standard]. My expectation is to win right now. I think that is what the community expects. … If you call yourself a ball coach, that is what should drive you to put the work in. I’ve always done that but now in a community where it is almost like championship or bust, I am excited for that challenge.”

It came as a shock to some that McFadden would want to leave Independence where he played quarterback and won two state championships. But, he said, complacency started to set in. He believes West Charlotte is the perfect place to spread his wings.

“The reason it was so appealing to me is because of the overall community support,” McFadden said. “The support this place has from the alumni, it is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. I don’t want to sound cliché but, seriously, the support is crazy. I think every program wants to win a state title but that is the expectation here. And with that comes the challenge of making sure we are doing the right things each and every day to make sure we have a chance to sit at the table. With me being an alumnus of Independence, I wanted to be immersed in a community that expects to win, but I am built for that and I am ready.”

Eradicating stigma

In his opening remarks to West Charlotte parents, McFadden said he wants to instill a culture of change where home games aren’t restricted regarding the number of tickets sold. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools last season limited ticket availability due to potential chaos.

McFadden said that he doesn’t intend on writing Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools athletics director Ericia Turner to adjust district’s policy because; rather, the goal is to prove the program’s worthy of a rethink. 

“I don’t think that this is something that you can tell them or write to them,” McFadden said. “It is something that we have to show them over time. I think it’s the things that you have to see and identify when they do come to visit here at a football game. They need to see the changes that we have made from the past. A lot of that starts on the administration side of things. … But, like I said, I think they will be able to come out and see the difference. I think that will make more of a difference than calling whoever up and saying, ‘Hey, we did XYZ.’ They can actually get out here and see the difference.”

The Huskies Hump

In 2025, West Charlotte lost in the 8A West regional final to eventual state champion Hough. The Huskies went undefeated to secure their first state title, but despite their prior lack of deep playoff success, since hiring coach DeShawn Baker in 2023, have not lost to a Charlotte-Mecklenburg team. 

The Lions lost to Baker-led Hough teams in 2023 (23-7), 2024 (40-14), and 24-0 last year. And although McFadden’s Independence teams couldn’t knock off the Huskies either, he isn’t looking ahead yet.

“That is something that I don’t want to worry too much about,” McFadden said. “We know it is coming, and we’ll deal with it when we need to deal with it. I think it is all process-based. I think that from a culture standpoint, if we can get the things we need to get done, done, by the time that game gets here we will be a lot more equipped for it. I don’t want us thinking about that game right now. We’ll get there when we get there and it will be settled when it is settled. Right now, I want us to focus on the process it is going to take to even get back to that game.”

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