Brookhaven Academy has hired Blake Purvis as their new head football coach for the 2014 season. Purvis replaces Coach Tripp McCarty, who recently left for the head coaching position at Pillow Academy after three seasons at BA.

Blake Purvis will also inherit another job title as the Assistant Athletic Director.

“I am excited to be given the chance to coach here at Brookhaven Academy,” said Purvis. “This is a great opportunity and I can’t wait to get started.”

Purvis’s stated that his number one goal is to continue Brookhaven Academy’s winning tradition in football.

“BA has a strong athletic tradition especially in football. They expect to compete for and win championships just like they did in 2009 and 2012,” continued Purvis. “I expect to continue that tradition and elevate the expectations in both the football program and the entire Athletic Department.”

Purvis, 26, comes from Mississippi College, where he served as the running backs coach for one season. He also had an assistant coach stint at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas, where he spent the 2011 and 2012 seasons as the Tight Ends/A-Backs coach.

During his two seasons at West Texas, he coached three All-Lone Star Conference selections for a team that went a combined 20-6. The team won the 2011 Kanza Bowl Championship and won the Lone Star Conference in 2012. They also advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament in 2012. West Texas A&M finished in the top 10 in passing offense, top 15 in total offense and top 20 in scoring offense in both seasons.

Prior to West Texas A&M, Purvis spent three years at his alma mater – Porter’s Chapel in Vicksburg. In 2008, he helped guide the team to a trip to the State semifinals. While a student at Porter’s Chapel, he posted a 4.0 GPA, while lettering in five different sports – football, basketball, baseball, track and powerlifting. Before graduating, the baseball team won state championships in 2003 and 2006, while the football team won the district championship in 2004 and 2005.

Purvis graduated from Mississippi State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Kinesiology with a concentration in sports communication. He earned his Master’s of Science degree in Sports and Exercise Sciences, with an Emphasis in Sports Management from West Texas A&M.

Blake is from Vicksburg and is the son of Darrell and Robin Purvis. He has one older brother, Wesley.