“I’m not saying football isn’t important in metro Atlanta, it just means more down here.” It’s official: Bradwell Institute once again has a head football coach. The Liberty County Board of Education approved Bradley Adkins as the head football coach at their meeting Tuesday night. Adkins is set to begin his position full-time at Bradwell on March 4.

Adkins hails from Kennesaw, Ga., where his family is currently still located. Adkins made the trip south to Hinesville this week in order to fill out paperwork, sign his contract, but most importantly—meet his team.

All returning Bradwell football players gathered in the gym to meet with Adkins, who introduced himself and laid down the groundwork for the upcoming season.

“I pride myself on being the best of the best,” Adkins said. “I go 100 miles an hour, all the time. We’re going to hit the ground running.”

Adkins has been coaching since 2001, and has seven years of head coach experience, he said. Adkins was head coach at a school in Columbus, Ga., for three years, head coach at Pope High School in Cobb County for two years, and spent the last two years as head coach at Campbell High School in Cobb County.

He brings a lot of things to table, and is completely dedicated to what he does, he said.

“It’s an opportunity to come into a situation,” Adkins said. “I’ve taken jobs that were almost all rebuilding situations, and I feel confident that we did build them and leave them better than they were. I don’t think Bradwell is a rebuilding job. I think the program just needs a couple of tweaks to go from good to great.”

Although he won’t be in the building full time until March, he has already called for each player’s contact information, and has distributed his through Coach Ken Griffin.

“Everyone make sure to get my contact information so I can get in touch with you,” he said.

Adkins prides himself in producing top quality players, and emphasized that in his program, it’s a 100 percent buy in, or it’s not worth the time. When players leave the program, Adkins said, they are ready for life.

“I think getting the community on board isn’t necessarily a challenge,” Adkins said. “I want to see the field packed every Friday night. I think the kids deserve that, and deserve to play in front a packed house.”

At the end of the team meeting, Adkins took a moment to speak to his rising seniors alone. The team and the program will only work if next year’s seniors buy in 100 percent, because then the underclassmen will buy in 100 percent, according to Adkins.

“This is your team, your legacy,” Adkins added. “How do you want to be known?”