Scott Shelton Staff Writer Chip Lindsey made his first appearance to Trojan fans on Friday, expressing his excitement to take the reins of the Troy football program during his inaugural press conference. “(I’m) just extremely excited to be back home,” Lindsey said. “I consider this a unique place and a special place for me and my family.” Lindsey has been coaching football for more than two decades at the high school and college levels. He began his college coaching career at Troy in 2010 when he was quarterback coach. That season, Lindsey coached freshman Corey Robinson, who threw for 3,726 yards and 28 touchdowns. Robinson went on to win Sun Belt Freshman of the Year, and the Trojans won their fifth straight Sun Belt Championship. Lindsey then became head coach at Spain Park High School before heading to Auburn University in 2013 as an offensive analyst. That year, the Tigers won the SEC Championship and made a BCS National Championship game appearance. In 2014, Lindsey joined the University of Southern Mississippi as an offensive coordinator. At Southern Miss, he coached current San Francisco 49ers quarterback Nick Mullins, who was the Conference USA offensive player of the year in 2015. In 2017, Lindsey returned to Auburn as offensive coordinator. The Tigers finished the regular season 10-2 and won the SEC West Division championship. Under Lindsey, the Auburn offense went for more than 3,000 yards in both rushing and passing. Lindsey has seen big stages, but he doesn’t let the moment get to him. “When you’re coaching, you’re not really caught up in the stage of where you are,” Lindsey said. “I’ve called plays at Colbert Heights High School, and I’ve called plays at USC’s stadium.” Since 2016, Troy football has set records for attendance at Veterans Memorial Stadium, and Lindsey says he plans to continue the high numbers spurred by Neal Brown and his staff. “Neal (Brown) and I are very similar in the way we want to affect our student body,” Lindsey said. “This is a family. “This place is special because of that. I want to continue to grow that relationship. I think our student body is excited about football, and if they get to know their coach personally, I think it’s good for everybody.” Lindsey will inherit a team coming off a 10-3 record, including a road win against the Nebraska Cornhuskers and a 42-32 bowl win over the Buffalo Bulls. Troy’s 2019 recruiting class, which Lindsey described as excited despite the coaching change, ranks second in the Sun Belt Conference, according to 247sports.
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