Chandler Tygard has resigned after two years as football coach at North Jackson High School in Alabama to accept an offer in Tennessee, where he'll take over at Blackman in Murfreesboro.
Tygard informed Chiefs players Wednesday afternoon and was introduced at Blackman later in the day.
"I am thankful to all the players for their hard work, embracing a complete culture change and becoming one of the most fun teams to watch in Alabama," said Tygard, who also expressed gratitude to North Jackson's administration. "They took a chance on me as a first-time head coach, and I could not be more appreciative of my time here."
Tygard takes over a program that competes in one of the most difficult Class 6A regions in the state, with Region 3 including crosstown rival Oakland, which has won state titles two of the past three years, including a 15-0 season in 2020. Blackman finished 4-7 last season but reached the state quarterfinals in 2019.
Prior to taking over at North Jackson, Tygard was an assistant at the college and prep levels for 10 years. He began his coaching career as a student assistant at the University of Tennessee, later coached the defensive line at University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky, and was receivers coach at Missouri Southern State for two years before becoming defensive coordinator at Chattanooga's Notre Dame High School.
He remained in Tennessee as the offensive coordinator at Ravenwood High School in Brentwood for the 2017 season, then spent 2018 as the offensive coordinator at Madison Academy in Huntsville, Alabama, before getting his shot to be a head coach at North Jackson.
The Chiefs led Alabama in total offense and passing offense last season, and the team set five school records for offense while finishing 6-5.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6293 and follow him on Twitter @StephenHargis.