Reigning Alabama High School Football State Champions Hire New Head Coach

One of the defending Alabama high school football state champions has now had three head coaches since winning the title.

Coosa Christian School has named offensive coordinator Alaric Williams to the position of head coach.

According to a report by The Gadsden Times, Williams replaces Mark O’Bryant, who stepped down. O’Bryant replaced Rush Probst, who was given the title on an interim basis and led the Conquerors to the Class 2A Alabama High School Athletic Association state football championship this past fall.

Alaric Williams: 'This Means Everything To Me'

“This means everything to me because this is my God-given purpose…to lead young men to Christ and prepare them for the challenges that come with growing into a Godly man,” Williams said in a press release from the school. “We will uphold the high standard of Coosa by putting ministry first, while being excellent and competitive in all we do. Building the foundation of this program on Christ is what makes it special.

Williams, 27 years old, has spent the past three seasons as the offensive coordinator at the school after one year leading the quarterbacks. He graduated from Southside High School and was a four-star athlete who signed with Auburn to play football.

A knee injury his senior season limited Williams to just a handful of games, as he rushed for 550 yards and seven touchdowns to still earn second team all-state honors in Class 6A. Williams was academically ineligible and enrolled at Garden City Community College, one of the top junior college football programs in the country.

“This is possibly really a once-in-a-lifetime chance at doing something really cool,” O’Bryant said of his decision to leave Coosa Christian.

Former Auburn Signee Replaces Mark O'Bryant At Coosa Christian

O’Bryant was reinstated to the position of head coach following the 2025 season. He led the Conquerors for five seasons, going 29-30 overall while reaching the 2023 state championship game.

In the report, O’Bryant said the new opportunities awaiting him are “outside of coaching.”

Williams credited O’Bryant for helping prepare him for this new role.

“Coach O’Bryant believed in me early, and that mentorship helped shape the coach and leader I am today,” he said. “Community buy-in is what feeds a program. When a community is aligned, it creates an environment where young men can thrive.”

Coosa Christian Head of School Julie Delp said, “I have full faith in Alaric carrying on the mission of Coosa Christian. He has a gift with students and is an exceptional role model that points students to Christ.

“He’s a proven winning coach on and off the field,” Delp said. “He’s family.”