The McCallie middle school football program is headed by Adam Tolar '96. With 19 years of experience coaching varsity football, including 12 here on the varsity staff at McCallie, Adam also teaches English in the upper school, lives in the freshmen dorm, and coaches middle and high school track and field. Coach Tolar's middle school coaching staff includes 12 coaches with a wide array of experience and fields of expertise.

While McCallie's middle school program has traditionally been very successful in terms of wins and losses, earning several undefeated seasons in the past decade, winning is not the most important goal for middle school football. Coaches are focused on helping players grow as athletes and develop a love and a knowledge of the game. We believe in challenging our young men in many different ways. Football is a game that pushes young men to their limits, both physically and emotionally. An important concern for the coaching staff is assisting the boys in their handling of the stress and adversity that such challenges present. As part of the larger mission of the school, we use football as a way to help boys mature into McCallie men.

Like much of the school, the essence of McCallie football is the brotherhood formed by learning to play for the name on the front of their jersey as well as each other. Nowhere is this better typified than in the closing minutes of practice each day as the boys gather to hear a few words of encouragement from the coaches. Then, as they prepare to leave, they hear Coach Tolar's final words, “Grab your brother.” It is a time where the day’s conflicts find peace, where each person finds someone who needs encouragement. It is a special time, a time at the end of every practice and every game when players and coaches alike are reminded that football is a game, and relationships, respect, and love for one another are life-long virtues.