Lincoln County native Anthony Hart is headed back to one of his former coaching homes.

Hart has stepped down as head football coach at Brookhaven Academy to return to the MHSAA ranks as the head football coach at Lafayette High outside of Oxford.

Hart leaves after coaching at BA and serving as athletic director for two years. He came to the MAIS member school after retiring from the public school system following a stint as the head football coach at Madison Central.

Previously also the head coach at West Lauderdale, Loyd Star and Franklin County — most associate Hart with his run at Lafayette, where the Commodores won back-to-back MHSAA 4A state titles from 2010-2011.

The Lafayette County School Board approved the hiring of Hart at their meeting on Monday.

At Brookhaven Academy, Hart went 8-3 in back-to-back seasons and led the Cougars to district titles in both years.

Beginning next season, Brookhaven Academy is moving up a classification and will play in the 5A ranks of MAIS football.

Hart was hired at BA when former coach Ron Rushing left for the head coaching position at Parklane Academy.

Parklane Academy has dropped from the 6A classification and will play next season in District 3-5A with BA, Adams County Christian Schol, Cathedral School, Silliman Institute and Oak Forest Academy.

At Lafayette, Hart will be replacing Michal Fair, who left the school in January to take over as the head football coach at Grenada High. Fair won a 4A state title in 2016 with the ‘Dores.

“When this opportunity came open, it was something my whole family was involved in discussing,” said Hart. “I’ve got one son who lives in Olive Branch and another son that lives in Clinton and my daughter is a student at Mississippi College. Both of my sons graduated from Lafayette and that’s home for them It just felt like the right thing at the right time for our family as a whole.”

Hart went 80-16 during his first run at Lafayette including a 16-0 season, something that had never been done in state history. Just as importantly, Hart went 6-1 against cross-town rival Oxford High during that time.

“I can’t say enough good things about my two years at Brookhaven Academy,” said Hart. “The players that I’ve coached, the kids in the school, the parents and administrators — they’ve all been phenomenal.”