Former Mississippi State linebacker Barrin Simpson has been hired as the next Columbus High School football coach, the Columbus Municipal School District announced on Monday.

“We’re excited to have Barrin Simpson join the Falcon Family,” CHS athletic director John Davis said in a statement. “Coach Simpson has had an incredibly successful career in football, both as a player and a coach. When we first met with Coach Simpson, his understanding of the game and his passion for educating students were incredibly apparent. He’s the right person to lead this program and we’re excited for the success he will bring to our district.”

Simpson is a product of Starkville High School, where he was a two-time all-state linebacker on two state championship teams. His success continued at Mississippi State (1995-1999), where he was twice honored as an All-SEC performer. He was part of the 1998 MSU team that won the SEC West.

In 2019, he was selected as a Mississippi State SEC Football Legend.

“Words cannot express the excitement I feel about the opportunity to build a program of champions here at Columbus High School through our new culture and core values of desire, determination (and) discipline, that will help us reach our destiny,” Simpson said.

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Simpson's professional career entailed 11 seasons in the Canadian Football League, where he was a seven-time CFL All-Star, five-time league-leading tackler and two-time defensive player of the year. He started his coaching career as an intern and analyst for North Texas before various high school coaching stops in Texas.

Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, @skrajisnik3.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ex-MSU LB Barrin Simpson is new Columbus High School football coach