Hi, my name is Hatem Bachar (pronounced Bashar), A.K.A. Coach “Hat”. I am the French Language and Culture teacher, as well as a Track & Field and Soccer coach.
After spending 25 years teaching in Higher education, 20 of which at LSU, this year I start my 5th year at West Feliciana and my 30th year overall in Education and Coaching.
I am originally from North Africa, from Tunisia to be exact and I started my American journey as a graduate student in 1989 at the University of Kansas to pursue a Doctorate degree in Exercise Physiology and Biomechanics in parallel with a Advanced graduate degree in French and Francophone Literature and Linguistics.
I love our kids at West Fel and I love the community. I have been welcomed with such warmth and care, it makes it very hard not to fall in love with the school and the people who make it work and make it so successful. Go SAINTS.
Fun Facts:
- I speak quite a few languages, a little more than the average person.
- I might have been an African Champion and an Olympic athlete in the Decathlon at one point.
- I taught 2 languages and coached Track and field, Men’s Sprints to be exact, at LSU for a good while.
- Holds 5 national championships with LSU in Track & Field and had a very small hand in the success of LSU 2003 football championship coaching some of the players on the track.
- Holds about 9 State Championships in Track & Field as a team and 33 State ChampionTitles for individual events.