Chad Barger, an assistant for the past three years on the East Ridge High School football team, was named head coach on Friday.

Barger takes over for Tim James, who stepped down to take the position of Hamilton County athletic director.

Barger told Stephen Hargis of the Times Free Press that he was “excited” and “ready to get going.” 

Barger has been the team’s offensive coordinator since coming to the school. Over his 23-year coaching career, Barger has been the head coach during 12 of those years.

Prior to coming to East Ridge, Barger was head coach at Coahulla Creek in Georgia for three years. He also had the head coaching position at Sequatchie, Clay, and Cannon County.

He took the Sequatchie County program that had gone 1-19 the previous two seasons to back-to-back winning campaigns.