When Chip Lindsey was hired as football coach at Lassiter High School, he said he wanted to turn the Trojans' offense into fast-break basketball on grass.

After two seasons where the Trojans rolled up a 21-4 record and had quarterback Hutson Mason break nearly every passing mark in the Georgia high school record book, Lindsey can consider that task complete.

Now, he's ready for another challenge - college football.

Lindsey has accepted an opportunity to join coach Larry Blakeney's staff as the new quarterbacks coach at Troy University in south Alabama.

"It's always been a dream of mine to get into college football," Lindsey said. "I just feel like it is something I've got to do."

Lindsey, who was traveling in Macon on Tuesday had hoped to meet with his team before making an announcement, but the news of the hire broke in Troy on Monday night. Lindsey expects to meet with his team today.

Despite the fact Lindsey is making the jump all the way from high school to Division I football, it appears as if it should be a smooth transition for the 35-year-old. Troy runs the same offense as Lassiter, and he already has a working relationship with new offensive coordinator Kenny Edenfield from their time in north Alabama.

Edenfield was at the University of North Alabama when Lindsey was coach at Colbert Heights, and they worked summer camps together and built a friendship. Edenfield was the one who suggested Lindsey for the job.

In two years at Lassiter, Lindsey led the Trojans to nearly everything but a state championship. During his first season in 2008, Lassiter went 9-3 and won the first state playoff game in school history. The Trojans followed that in '09 by having the first undefeated regular season and region title in school history, while advancing to the state quarterfinals before bowing out against Colquitt County.

This year, Lassiter's offense rolled up more than 5,000 yards of total offense, behind Mason's 4,560 passing yards, and averaged more than 40 points a game.

Lindsey was named the Marietta Daily Journal/Cobb County Football Coach of the Year after both of his seasons at the Trojans' helm.

"Our season is obviously one you never forget," Lindsey said in December. "It was a very magical season, so to speak. To go undefeated (in the regular season), we had to have some luck go your way. Our players pulled together, they cared about each other and they were very unselfish. Even though Hutson got a lot of the hype, everybody bought into this team concept."

It was two years at Lassiter that principal Chris Shaw said would live on for a long time.

"It's just been a shot in the arm for the Lassiter community," he said. "It's been two amazing years, and it is something the Lassiter community will always remember."

While disappointed that Lindsey will be leaving, Shaw took pride in the fact he knows he hired the right person to turn around the Trojans' football program.

"You want to hire coaches that are wanted," Shaw said.

Shaw added the one thing you want to have happen when you hire a coach is for him to leave the program better than when he found it. Lindsey did, and it should help Shaw and athletic director Art O'Neill find a new leader.

"There's already been some inquiries from word of mouth," Shaw said. "After signing day (today), we will open it up.

"We're going to continue to build the program. (Lindsey) hired a great staff, and a great group of assistants, and one of the good things is most (of the assistants) plan on being here."

Shaw said, based on the team's success, the assistants would be considered for the head-coaching job if they apply. The principal, however, wanted to make one thing clear before he officially starts taking resumes.

"We will keep the spread offense," Shaw said. "That will be one of the stipulations. So if anyone comes in and wants to run the 'I' or the veer, it may be a sticking point."