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Zak Theus Brings a \"How Bad Do You Want It\" Culture to Spartanburg Christian Academy

Aug 21, 2026
Coach Interviews

Zak Theus, the new head coach at Spartanburg Christian Academy, has one question for his players, and he asks it at the end of every single practice: how bad do you want it. That question is the whole foundation of the culture he's building with the Warriors, and he laid it out in detail in a sit-down interview with Movin' The Chains.

Zak Theus Takes Over at Spartanburg Christian Academy

Theus was hired in March as the new head coach of the Spartanburg Christian Academy Warriors, taking over after four seasons as head coach at Calhoun Falls Charter. Before that he spent six years as an assistant at Palmetto High School under coach Doug Shaw, working as assistant athletic director, head strength coach and head JV coach while he prepared himself to run his own program.

The jump to SCA followed a tip from a coaching friend. "Greenwood Christian's coach, Coach Rooney, he was actually the guy that told me about Spartanburg Christian," Theus said, "because we've kind of become friends over the years. And I knew that I wanted to be around people that were strong in Christian faith, me trying to grow in that, and my family trying to grow in that as well. And just walking in the door, seeing how bad they wanted it, that was like seeing myself and a whole bunch of different people, and I was like, man, I need this real bad. And so here we are."

Zak Theus sits down with Movin' The Chains to discuss taking over as head coach at Spartanburg Christian Academy

From Mauldin to Palmetto to Calhoun Falls: The Coaching Journey Behind Zak Theus

Theus played high school football at Mauldin High School under Doug Shaw before heading to Newberry College, where he graduated in 2015. Shaw, by then coaching at Palmetto, was the first person Theus called about a job. "He said we just had a coach leave, we have an offensive line opening," Theus said. He took the job (plus a middle school ISS position to make it work) and spent the next six years at Palmetto, calling Shaw and Shaw's cousin Lee Taylor mentors who "helped me kind of mold me into a good coach."

Taylor is the one who told Theus about the Calhoun Falls Charter opening, knowing how badly Theus wanted to be a head coach. Landing there at 29 years old was a reality check. "It was nothing like I expected," Theus said. "The first day on the job I had two kids show up to summer weights." He rebuilt the program's numbers from 16 players to 27, calling that growth one of his proudest accomplishments, and said the experience taught him patience as a coach. It also changed him personally: "I actually got saved while I was there," he said, which he credits as part of why Spartanburg Christian Academy appealed to him and his family.

"How Bad Do You Want It": The Culture Theus Is Building

The Warriors' new motto isn't complicated. "I literally say it at the end of every practice: how bad do you want it," Theus said. "It sounds so broad when you say it like that, but it's sort of our culture. What I'm saying is these kids are showing me how bad they want it. We've made practice hard, we've pushed them to limits they haven't been to, at least since they've played football, and they're so receptive to it."

He's tying that culture directly to accountability, pointing to summer weight room attendance as an early proof point. "I think every kid has been there as much as possible unless they've had to go on vacation," he said. As for how he plans to instill it, Theus says it starts with him. "I can't preach it and not do it. So if I'm going to tell them I want it bad, I need to be the first person there every day. And I will be."

The "how bad do you want it" mantra Zak Theus repeats to close every Spartanburg Christian Academy practice

A New Coaching Staff Built on Relationships

Theus inherited four assistants already on staff when he arrived: offensive coordinator Connor McDonald, defensive coordinator Ryan Wernquist, strength coach Blake Wilson (a 22-year-old who previously worked as a GA at Liberty) and middle school program coordinator Winfield Jenkins, who came over from Burns. "I had four guys already hungry, young guys, eager guys," Theus said. "Those kids love them, and that immediately got respect from them when I told them that those are my guys."

He also brought in two coaches he trusted from his Palmetto days: Terrell Owens ("not the wide receiver," Theus joked) and his younger brother Tyson Owens. "Those guys know exactly who I am as a person," Theus said. "When I told their mother that I was hiring both of them, she was ecstatic."

Zak Theus's new Spartanburg Christian Academy coaching staff, a mix of holdovers and hires from his Palmetto years

Offense, Defense and the Warriors' Identity in 2026

Theus wants an aggressive, fundamentally sound team, with tackling and special teams as non-negotiables. "That still haunts me years later," he said of losing a region title to a special teams breakdown at Palmetto. Offensively, he's steering the Warriors away from their traditional run-first identity. "I like to sling it around," he said, and with OC Connor McDonald sharing that philosophy, the staff has built in spread concepts around two running backs, one of whom also plays quarterback. Defensively, expect a 3-4 built on fundamentals. Theus also cited Lane Kiffin as the offensive mind he studies most closely when picking up new concepts.

Players to Watch for Spartanburg Christian Academy

Theus singled out junior wide receiver Aiden Wagner as a name to know. "He's about 6'3, 200 pounds, plays wide receiver," Theus said. "He's not going to wow you with speed, but man, you throw it up to him, he's a cheat code, as the kids say." He also pointed to Hamilton Hudson, the team's prayer leader before every practice, as a quiet example-setter who has added roughly 25 pounds of muscle since last season. Theus also praised an incoming freshman receiver class he expects to make an impact down the road, and one returning running back working his way back from a broken collarbone whom Theus called one of the offense's most versatile pieces.

For more on standout players across the state each week, check our Players of the Week and Player Spotlights.

Off the Field with Coach Theus

Asked about his game-day playlist, Theus said it depends on the day. "I'm a big country guy, obviously, but if I've had a bad day, there's no telling, it might be rock and roll, it might be some old school rap," he said, landing on Morgan Wallen as his go-to to "calm the anxiety down." Pressed for Spartanburg food recommendations, Theus turned the question back on hosts Kevin Thomas and Jerel Hendricks before naming Ike's Corner Grill for burgers, Wes's for a meat-and-three, and Bubba's Barbecue Bash.

Goals for the 2026 Season

Theus isn't putting a number on wins yet. "I'm not really worried about the wins and losses quite yet," he said. "Culture needs to establish itself, and it's something that's going to take some time. But I think just everybody buying in and seeing that camaraderie, and building that foundation this year, is sort of step one of what we're trying to do."

You can follow Theus and the Warriors program on social media for updates through the season, and see our full crew behind Movin' The Chains coverage like this. If you've got a coach or story we should feature, reach out, and check our South Carolina high school football rankings to see where the Warriors land as the season approaches. For more coach interviews and season coverage, visit the Movin' The Chains blog.

This interview is part of Movin' The Chains' offseason new coaches series, brought to you by Founders Federal Credit Union. You can find Spartanburg Christian Academy's full program and roster info on MaxPreps and Theus's college playing career at Newberry College Athletics.

FAQ

Who is the new head football coach at Spartanburg Christian Academy? Zak Theus was hired as Spartanburg Christian Academy's head coach in March, taking over the Warriors program after four seasons as head coach at Calhoun Falls Charter.

Where did Zak Theus coach before Spartanburg Christian Academy? Theus spent four seasons as head coach at Calhoun Falls Charter and, before that, six years as an assistant at Palmetto High School under coach Doug Shaw, where he also served as assistant athletic director and head JV coach.

What does "how bad do you want it" mean for the Warriors? It's the phrase Theus repeats at the end of every practice, and he describes it as the core of the culture he's building: pushing players to new limits and measuring their buy-in through effort and accountability rather than just wins and losses.

Who are Zak Theus's assistant coaches at Spartanburg Christian Academy? The staff includes offensive coordinator Connor McDonald, defensive coordinator Ryan Wernquist, strength coach Blake Wilson, middle school coordinator Winfield Jenkins, and new hires Terrell Owens and Tyson Owens, both of whom worked with Theus previously at Palmetto.

What offense and defense will Spartanburg Christian Academy run in 2026? Theus is moving the Warriors away from a traditional run-first identity toward a spread offense built around two running backs, one of whom also plays quarterback, while running a fundamentally sound 3-4 defense.

Who are players to watch for Spartanburg Christian Academy in 2026? Theus highlighted junior wide receiver Aiden Wagner as a breakout name, along with Hamilton Hudson as a team leader, plus an incoming freshman receiver class and a running back returning from a broken collarbone.

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