Pettit was named Cary Christian athletics director last week, replacing Frank Hollowell, who is stepping down from the position but will remain the school’s middle school principal. Pettit teaches seventh and ninth grade at the school and has enjoyed being a frequent visitor to Knights athletic events in recent years.

“They’re asking me to go to all their (games), and I just have always seen that as a part of my job … just because it supports the kids,” Pettit said. “It’s like they say, ‘Find something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life,’ and that’s where I’m at right now.”

Pettit has coached Cary Christian middle school boys’ soccer and basketball teams, varsity girls’ basketball teams on two different occasions and has been an assistant for varsity volleyball, football and both basketball teams.

He starts his job with a big project for the school’s athletic program on deck: a new three-story field house is set for construction on the school’s football/soccer/lacrosse field, and the school hopes to install lights on the field before its first football game in fall. The lights would be directed downward to avoid disturbing neighboring subdivisions.