Trace Abdul-Hadi is getting a chance to coach a sport he deeply loves with his recent hiring as the new head boys’ basketball coach at Wesson Attendance Center.

Abdul-Hadi is replacing Rusty Newman, who left his alma mater to take over as head boys’ and girls’ basketball coach at Enterprise.

Enterprise is actually the most recent stop on Abdul-Hadi’s coaching journey. For the last five years, he’s helped in a few different spots for the Yellow Jackets.

Initially, Abdul-Hadi was the head softball coach at the school for three years. For the last two seasons, he’s worked as an assistant coach in football and baseball.

Basketball has always been a passion of the Pike County native as he worked for three years as an assistant basketball coach at his alma mater, North Pike.

During that time, he stepped into the role of interim head coach after his former boss Keith Russ left North Pike.

“I’m very excited to get back into coaching basketball and to be able to coach at a great school like Wesson,” said Abdul-Hadi. “I played basketball in high school and knew that I wanted to run my own program one day. When I got the chance to be interim head coach at North Pike, it just reinforced my desire to be a head basketball coach in the future. I’m extremely thankful to Mr. Clopton (Wesson principal Tommy Clopton) and to Wesson for giving me a chance. I look forward to getting started this summer.”