By Mike Hensley and Jacob Holmes

Former Auburn offensive coordinator and Troy quarterback coach Chip Lindsey has been named Troy University’s new head football coach.

The official Troy Trojans Football Twitter confirmed the hire Thursday after reports circulated Wednesday that he would be hired.

“I am excited to welcome Chip and his family back home to Troy to continue our standing as one of the premier Group of Five programs in the nation,” said Troy Athletic Director Jeremy McClain. “Chip is well respected across the state of Alabama and the nation for not only his coaching ability, but also his ability to grow the men in his program and prepare them for life after football. He has a vision and plan for excellence for each segment of this program and I have the full confidence about the future of Troy football under his leadership.”

Lindsey said he is excited to return to the state of Alabama and take the reins as head coach of the Trojans.

“I am extremely honored and humbled to be the head football coach at Troy University,” Lindsey said. “I want to thank Chancellor Hawkins, the Board of Trustees and Jeremy McClain for entrusting me with the future of the Troy football program. Our family is beyond excited to come back home to the state of Alabama and to Troy as we continue to build on the foundation that has been laid for this program. I have seen firsthand the passion of Trojan Nation and the student-athletes that represent it. I cannot wait to meet our team and get to work on strengthening our position among the premier Group of Five programs.”

Troy University Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins Jr. called Lindsey the “right leader” to continue the success of the football program.

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, it is my pleasure to welcome Chip and his family home to Troy,” Hawkins said. “Troy University enjoys a proud tradition of football success that dates to 1909, and Chip Lindsey is the right leader to continue this tradition of excellence. Thanks to Senior Vice Chancellor for Athletics Jeremy McClain for conducting an exhaustive search to identify the best candidate to lead our football program. I am confident that Coach Lindsey will uphold the high standards of Troy football.”

Following the 2018 season at Auburn, Lindsey joined former LSU head coach Les Miles’ staff at Kansas University in December.

In 2018, the Auburn Tigers were 48th in the country in scoring offense after they averaged 30.9 points per game. They finished the season with an 8-5 overall record. They defeated Purdue 63-14 in the Music City Bowl.

In 2017, Lindsey helped engineer an offense that surpassed the 3,000-yard mark in both passing and rushing, something that hadn’t been done in Auburn history and it was just the eighth time in Southeastern Conference history.

Lindsey also served time as an offensive coordinator with Arizona State and Southern Mississippi. In 2015, Lindsay and the Golden Eagle offense finished in the top 10 nationally in total touchdowns, total points, passing yards and completions. They were number one in the country with 102 explosive plays.

Lindsey broke into college football in 2010 when he was quarterbacks coach at Troy. While at Troy, Lindsey coached quarterback Corey Robinson and the Troy offense. The Trojans finished that season with an 8-5 overall record. Robinson finished the season with 3,726 yards and 28 touchdowns.

Lindsey coached in the high school ranks for 13 years before arriving in Troy in 2010.

The university will be holding a press conference at 11 a.m. Friday to welcome Chip Lindsey to the program.