Phil Massey is going home.
Massey announced his resignation as Chattanooga Christian School football coach Tuesday morning and has accepted an offer to become the new head coach at Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis.
“My career has taken me full circle, and the opportunity to return home and coach D-II AAA football again was very attractive,” said Massey, whose career record stands at 184-112. “I’m very appreciative of the CCS community and football family for welcoming me and allowing me the opportunity to coach and mentor young men.
“The freedom to share my faith allowed me to provide perspective, motivation and a solid foundation for our players to build a life of purpose and personal growth. I feel that the potential at CCS in football has not yet been reached, and I see them being a steady force in years to come.”
Massey took over at CCS in early February of 2022 and went on to guide the Chargers to a pair of program firsts with a 10-3 record that included a region runner-up finish. That marked CCS’ first 10-win season, and the Chargers reached the semifinals for the first time.
“In a short amount of time, Coach Massey demonstrated two components of what we believe to be true about CCS football,” said school athletic director Daniel Russell. “A high-caliber program can both complement and contribute to a Christ-centered education as coaches focus on mentoring student-athletes, and CCS has the capacity to build a competitive program to compete locally and statewide.
“I’m personally thankful for how Coach Massey poured into the lives of our student-athletes, and we know Briarcrest is getting an excellent leader and mentor. CCS will post the position by the end of the day, and we will aim to hire promptly so a new head coach can have a seamless transition as we approach spring practice.”
Briarcrest competes in the state’s largest private school league, Division II-AAA, having won state championships in 2002 and 2004. The Saints finished last season 5-6 but had eight straight winning seasons prior to that.
Massey was named a prep All-American by Parade magazine as a record-setting quarterback at Skyview Baptist Academy, a Memphis private school which no longer exists. He later played at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
He has helped guide three programs to state championship games, beginning with Brownsville’s Haywood High, where he led the Tomcats to consecutive Class 4A runner-up finishes in 1994-95. As offensive coordinator at Memphis University School, he helped the Owls win back-to-back D-II AAA state titles in 2004-05.
MUS also reached the semifinals in two other seasons with Massey calling offensive plays.
He worked as Baylor School’s head coach for 16 seasons, compiling a 112-73 record and reaching the TSSAA playoffs in all but two of those seasons, including consecutive D-II AAA state runner-up finishes in 2010-11. His Red Raiders teams reached at least the semifinals six times, but he was let go after the 2021 season.
CCS, which began its football program in 2009, made the transition from the TSSAA’s public school league to Division II in 2016. Playing in D-II AA, the state’s classification for mid-sized private schools, the Chargers advanced to the state quarterfinals twice — in 2019, 2020 — before Massey took over.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293.