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Sports

Henry Fairfax Taking Over Haverford School Hoops

The school's all-time leading scorer will be a head coach for the first time.

Henry Fairfax credits for so many changes in his life. He was a self-described “kid from West Philly,” when he got the opportunity to attend the prestigious Inter-Academic League private school. He went on to aid the Fords to an Inter-Ac championship, that led to a basketball scholarship to Drexel, which he used to further his education with a graduate degree from Penn.

The way Fairfax sees it, it’s time to give back to the school that’s given him so much, taking over for Steve Cloran as the Fords’ head basketball coach, effective Wednesday, June 1. A three-time All-Inter-Ac first-team selection and currently Haverford School’s all-time leading scorer, Fairfax is a 1999 Haverford School graduate.

Cloran, who resigned for family reason, having recently had his fifth child, guided the Fords to a 11-12 overall season last year.

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“I’m very excited about this,” Fairfax told the Haverford-Havertown Patch. “I originally approached this with some reluctance, since I live on the border of Maryland and Pennsylvania and it’s a two-hour commute every day. But me and my wife have been looking more intently to buy a home around the vicinity of the school, to get closer to the school. I’m elated about this opportunity.”

Fairfax will continue his role as Haverford School’s Director of admissions for Junior K-to-12. This will be his first opportunity as a head coach, having served as an assistant for five years coaching McDonogh School in Maryland, working two with the junior varsity and three years with the varsity program.

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Above everything, Fairfax wants to sell prospective grade school student/athletes the value of Haverford School.

“I should know,” Fairfax said. “I remember (former Haverford School basketball) coach (Brian) McBride asking me if I ever heard of Haverford School. I was a kid from West Philly. From an academic standpoint, I struggled when I first got here. I didn’t know that there was a discrepancy in the education system from where I came from to where I was at Haverford School. I finally figured it out.

"I did it with resilience.  I call it a victory. I found out I could do it. I worked my tail off. That’s what I’m selling. I get to practice every day in my position. The primary responsibility is selling Haverford School to kids, with resilience on the basketball court, but also to educate the whole child. I have my hand in it and I can’t wait to be a part of that process on the basketball court.”

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