On Dec. 18, Brian Christian was announced as the new offensive coordinator for the Alcovy Tigers football program going into the 2024 season.
Along with running the offense, Christian will also be in the one tabbed with coaching the offensive line.
Christian will join the Tigers staff as someone who has coached at the college level along with multiple years of coaching Georgia high school football.
The decision to hire Christian was spearheaded by Tigers head coach Spencer Fortson.
“Coach Fortson reached out to me on Twitter,” Christian said. “I was looking for an offensive coordinator spot. I have been coaching the offensive line for the last couple years and I felt like I was ready. He reached out to me and we felt like the timing was right. We met for a long time and went from there.”
Though he was hired as Alcovy’s offensive coordinator, Christian has spent time coaching various position groups on offense and defense.
Christian’s coaching career began as a volunteer at a high school in Athens.
After that, Christian moved on to coach at Grayson High School before going to Mercer to coach the defensive line.
Christian took a break from coaching to have a career in sales before returning to the sidelines as a coach at a private school in Macon. The most recent stop was last year, where Christian coached at Riverwood High School.
During his time, Christian has coached running backs, offensive line, tight ends, defensive line and linebackers.
“I have coached a little bit of everything,” Christian said.
But now Christian’s attention will solely be on the Tigers’ offense next season. With Christian leading the offense, Alcovy will look to play more of a college-style attack.
The plan for Christian is to highlight the skill players for the Tigers and allow them to shine within his scheme.
“It is going to be spread, up-tempo and a lot of gap-scheme runs,” Christian said. “I compare it to Auburn when Gus Malzahn was there, or to Kansas State now with the spread. We are going to get our playmakers in space and let them work. We are going to take our deep shots.”
The season is months away, but Christian is already at the school and has spent time with his new players. Along with introducing himself, Christian has hit the film room in preparation for 2024.
“I have watched every single game and every single practice,” Christian said. “I have met a bunch of the kids so far and have been able to see them work out. I am very excited about what we have coming back. Our whole offensive line is coming back and it is a bunch of guys that have played varsity football. We have a lot of skill players that are coming back, they are really explosive.”
With a veteran offensive line returning, Christian believes that can be the key for Alcovy to take the next level.
Nevertheless, Christian plans on placing the onus on himself and fellow coaches for success.
“The biggest thing is telling the guys that we are going to be hard on the coaches but easy on the players,” Christian said. “We want to make it simple for our guys to understand and execute, but it is going to look really complicated. We want those guys to play fast, and the coaches will do the work of making it complicated and giving stuff for the defense to handle.”
No schedule has been released yet for Alcovy’s 2024 campaign. Spring practice will be in May with summer practice following.
While the program awaits the return of football, Christian has begun work to turn the Tigers’ offense into his own. As a result, Christian foresees the addition of new position coaches in his new role as offensive coordinator.
“The biggest thing is that I am trying to get a bunch of coaches on the offensive staff that have coached college ball or high-level high school football,” Christian said. “The athleticism, the weight room and all those things are there. Now we just need some good coaches to come in and show these guys the right way to practice, the right way to work and put them in positions to be successful.
“We have a really good opportunity here in front of us.”
