Former Lawrence County defensive coordinator Justin Sawyer has been named the head football coach at West Lincoln.

The announcement was made Monday night at the Lincoln County school board meeting and was approved by all five members of the board.

Sawyer has been with Lawrence County for four years and served as the defensive coordinator for three years under head coach Jaymie Palmer.

“I learned a lot from Jaymie Palmer,” Sawyer said. “He does a great job dealing with situations on and off the field. I’ve been under several head coaches and he’s one of the best under organization and discipline.”

The football background for Sawyer extends back to his college days, where he was an offensive lineman at Ole Miss and took snaps for Eli Manning.

Sawyer played in 13 games his senior year in 2003 for Ole Miss, making eight starts at center his final year in Oxford.

“He is a good man and a good football coach. He did an outstanding job for us. Hate to lose him, but excited for him to get this opportunity,” Palmer said. “He has a good football pedigree and not everyone can say they snapped the ball to Eli Manning.”

Sawyer is set to start his role as head football coach at West Lincoln in July.

“I’m looking forward to getting there and getting the job started,” Sawyer said. “That’s a program known for its toughness and hopefully I can help continue that.”