By Marty Albright

Brookhaven Daily Leader

Blake Purvis didn’t have to wait long for a shot at his first head coaching job.

The Vicksburg native and Porters Chapel Academy graduate, who turns 26 today, was hired earlier this week as the head football coach and assistant athletic director at Brookhaven Academy.

“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.”

This is Purvis’ first time as a head coach, but he’s far from inexperienced on the sideline.

He was the running backs coach at Mississippi College last season, and also had an assistant coaching stint at West Texas A&M in 2011 and 2012.

Purvis also spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Porters Chapel, where he also lettered in five sports — football, baseball, basketball, track and powerlifting — during his high school playing career.

At Brookhaven Academy, he’ll replace Tripp McCarty. McCarty left after three seasons to become the head coach at Pillow Academy. McCarty had a 25-14 record at BA.

Purvis’s stated that his number one goal is to continue Brookhaven Academy’s winning tradition in football. The Cougars finished 4-7 last season, ending a run of six consecutive seasons with at least eight wins.

Brookhaven Academy won the MAIS Class AA championship in 2009 and 2012.

“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,” Purvis said. “I expect to continue that tradition and elevate the expectations in both the football program and the entire Athletic Department.”

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