Davidson College names Saj Thakkar head football coach

Tim Murphy, Harvard’s head coach from 1994-2023 described his former Indian American assistant as “a great American success story”

By Arun Kumar

Davidson College, a private liberal arts college in Davidson, North Carolina, has named Indian American Saj Thakkar as its 29th head coach to lead Wildcats football.

“I am absolutely thrilled to be the head football coach at Davidson College,” Thakkar stated in a media release. “My family and I are truly honored to be a part of this exceptional community. It became clear through the search process that Davidson 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.”

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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 Davidson.

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’s head coach from 1994-2023 and the owner of 232 career wins in 36 years, praised his former assistant. “Saj is a great American success story,” said Murphy. “His work ethic, football IQ and love of the game are important components in his ability to recruit, coach and motivate student-athletes.”

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’s and bachelor’s 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.