Charles Gunnings officially returns to coach Fayetteville’s newest professional arena football team the Cape Fear Heroes in 2012. Charles has been a head coach with three different professional teams the Fayetteville Guard (NIFL & AIFA), The Richmond Raiders (AIFA) and the Fayetteville Force (SIFL) and has built a reputation for putting together winning programs. He is also known as a strong motivator, recruiter and a player’s coach.

Coach Gunnings is actively putting together this year’s team with one of his first orders of business being the Cape Fear Heroes open player tryout on January 22.

His biggest coaching accomplishment was in 2007 when he took the Fayetteville Guard to a National Championship beating the Wyoming Cavalry.

Charles was born in Gastonia North Carolina and raised in Laurinburg, North Carolina where attended Scotland High School.  While in High School he lettered in 3 sports: Football, Basketball, and Track.  Later Gunnings earned a Football Scholarship to Elizabeth City State University as a defensive back where he was converted to linebacker and earned All CIAA honors at that position.  Upon graduating from ECSU, Gunnings stayed at ECSU to coach as a linebackers coach while he pursued his NFL Dreams.  After 3 failed tryout attempts with the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL Gunnings began his professional football career in 2000 with the AF2 Cape Fear Wildcats where he played running back and linebacker, and recorded the team’s first rushing touchdown in their history. Gunnings went on to play for the Cape Fear Wildcats for another 3 years before injuries sidelined him indefinitely.

In 2000, Gunnings got married to his high school Sweetheart, Shaunee Langford Gunnings, and started a career in the Childcare Industry, he currently is an owner with two locations under the franchise Noah's Ark Learning Childcare Facility. Gunnings has 2 beautiful children, Laila (8 years) and Charles Jr.( 5 months ) and still resides in Fayetteville North Carolina.

Career Highlights

 2004:  Running Back / Linebacker & Strength and Conditioning coach for the Cape Fear Wildcats of the AF2.Team ended the season with a record of 13 wins and 4 losses

2005:  Cape Fear Wildcats relocated to South Georgia and the Myrtle Beach Stingrays moved to Fayetteville changing their name to the Fayetteville Guard.  Gunnings served as the team’s first defensive coordinator where the team went on to a 7-7 record in its first year.

2006:  Defensive Coordinator for the Fayetteville Guard with number 1 ranked Defense in the National Indoor Football League and a team record of 15 wins and 2 losses The Guard lost in the NIFL National Championship game to Billings Outlaws.  That season Gunnings worked on the Guard staff under former NFL player and Guard Head Coach Mike Siani.

2007:  Head Coach for the Fayetteville Guard with number 1 ranked Defense in the National Indoor Football League with a 13-0 record bringing Fayetteville its first undefeated season.

2008:  Hired as Defensive Coordinator with Huntington Heroes of the AIFA where he quickly put together the #1 defense in the AIFA and was off to an early 5-1 record. At mid – season coach got the opportunity to return as head coach of the Fayetteville Guard where he took over a team with an 0-4 record and with his arrival the team then went on to win seven of their next ten games and finish the season with a 7-7 record and missing the play-offs by one game

2009:  Head Coach for the Fayetteville Guard with an 8-7 record and a birth in the AIFA playoffs.

2010:   Hired as Defensive Coordinator for the Richmond Raiders before taking over as head coach where he successfully improved the program.

2011: Hired as the Defensive Coordinator of the Fayetteville Force before taking over as head coach.