A native of Asheville, North Carolina, Harris attended Enka High School, where he wrestled under the guidance of both Jim Whitmer and Rex Wells. Harris was a two-time state champion (1989, 1990), three-time state placer, four-time state qualifier, and three-time conference champion for the Jets. He was also an all-conference soccer player and letterman in football.  He then wrestled at North Carolina State University from 1991-1996, where he was a four-year letterman and a member of an ACC Championship team and two teams finishing top-10 at the NCAA Championships. Graduating from NCSU with a bachelor’s in history in 1996, Harris began his coaching career at Fuquay-Varina High School (Wake County) as an assistant coach. Assuming head coaching duties in 1999, Harris’ Fuquay-Varina teams captured state tournament and state dual championships in 2000 and 2001. From 2000 to 2002, Harris’ Fuquay-Varina teams went 80-4 in dual matches.

After finishing his master’s in history at NCSU, Harris returned to Enka High in the Fall of 2002, becoming just the fifth head coach in program history. In 22 seasons with the Jets, his teams have captured 16 conference championships, reached the state dual finals twice, and won the state tournament championship in 2016 and 2020. In 25 seasons as a head coach, his teams have won over 600 dual meets, six state championships, 18 conference championships, seven regional tournament championships, and six regional dual team championships. To date, he has coached 148 state qualifiers, 69 state medalists, 26 state finalists, 12 state champions, and three high school All-Americans. His teams have qualified for the state playoffs in every season he has been a head coach.

Active in wrestling leadership at the state, regional, and national level, Harris is one of the founding members of the NC Wrestling Coaches Association, serving as its first president from 2007-2010. He has worked for the National Wrestling Coaches Association as State Chairman (2010-2016), Section Leader for seven Southeastern states (2016 – present), and the NWCA Board of Directors (2023 – present). Harris currently serves on the Board of Directors for the North Carolina Wrestling Coaches Association, the North Carolina Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (2015 – present) and is the regional chairman for the charity organization Headlock on Hunger. Harris received the Toby Webb Coaching Excellence award from the NCHSAA in 2023, only the second wrestling coach to receive this award. In addition to the Lifetime Service Award of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, he is a member of the Enka High School Athletics Hall of Fame. Harris coaches cross country in addition to wrestling.  Harris and his wife Esther have three boys: Levi, Greyson, and Asa.