Chuck Griffin has stepped down as the head football coach and athletic director at Troup following two seasons at the helm.

Griffin notified school officials and his team on Monday and has taken an assistant football and basketball position at Faith Academy in Mobile, Ala. He and his wife are Pensacola, Fla. natives and will be about an hour’s drive from both of their families.

“I have a great opportunity and am really excited about it,” Griffin said. “It was an opportunity for me to go home. I’ve been in Texas for a few years and always wondered how I was going to go home.”

Griffin, a graduate of Pensacola’s Woodham High School and the University of West Alabama, came to Texas as a graduate assistant at Hardin-Simmons University. He’s spent the past 13 years in the Texas coaching ranks and went 6-15 in two seasons at Troup, leading the Tigers to their first playoff appearance in four years in 2011.

“It’s been fantastic; coaching all over and coaching in small schools has been great,” Griffin said. “I’ve made great friendships with coaches and players.”

Griffin has also coached at Georgetown HS, Borger HS, Temple HS and Midland HS.

Troup returns seven starters on offense and nine on defense this season. The Tigers will be competing in a tough district that includes Tatum, Jefferson, White Oak, Harmony and Sabine.