EMORY, Va. – Emory & Henry College Head Men's Basketball Coach Ben Thompson has announced the hiring of Khalil Shakir as an assistant coach.

Shakir joins the E&H staff after spending the 2020-21 academic year as an assistant boys' basketball coach at Trinity Collegiate School in Darlington, South Carolina. He helped lead the Titans to the SCISA 3A State Championship and saw three players named all-region including the region player of the year.  Shakir was responsible for individual skill development, weight training, film breakdown and scouting as well as directing the team's study hall.

"We are excited to announce the hiring of Khalil Shakir to our staff," commented Thompson. "He is hard-working, intelligent, and an up and comer in the coaching profession. His experiences, not only as a scout and state championship-winning coach, but also as a student-athlete within the South Atlantic Conference, make him an ideal fit for our program."

Shakir also currently serves as the owner and operator of H3 Grind, a basketball skill development and exposure organization as well as a writer and talent evaluator for Phenom Hoops.

Previous to his time at Trinity Collegiate, Shakir was an assistant boys' basketball coach at West Florence High School in Florence, South Carolina, which reached the third round of the SCHSL 5A Playoffs.

"Joining this staff has been a dream come true," said Shakir. "This is an opportunity I've only dreamed about and I am thankful for the opportunity to be part of #TheFamily!"

Harris was a letterwinner at Coker University for the 2018-19 season. While with the Cobras, he was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and also served as the vice president of the FANGS Committee, a campus organization which focuses on community service in the Hartsville, South Carolina area. Prior to his time at Coker, Harris attended Limestone College in Gaffney, South Carolina where he redshirted during his freshman season.

"Khalil comes very highly recommended by people that I have a great deal of respect for, and I have enjoyed getting to know him and his family throughout this process," Thompson added. "We look forward to welcoming Khalil, Jalecia, and little Aiden to #TheFamily."

Harris graduated magna cum laude from Coker in May 2020 with a Bachelor's degree in business administration and sport management. He also holds a USA Basketball Gold License.

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