State championship coach Patrick Browning is leaving Greenville High after just one season for a college coaching opportunity.

Browning, who led Pike Road to the Class 5A state title in 2021, told AL.com he has accepted the role of quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator at Alabama State.

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“I have been blessed over my career to work with some amazing coaches, players, and administration,” he said in a statement. “I am very grateful for the opportunity that Mr. (Joseph) Eiland (superintendent), Mr. (Jamie) Howard (principal), and the board of education gave me at Greenville, and the support they have given me since I have been here has been incredible.

“The opportunity to coach Division 1 football is rare for a high school coach, especially having the blessing of coaching quarterbacks and being the passing game coordinator at the D1 level, along with not having to move my family. It was as just too good of an opportunity to pass up.”

Browning started the Pike Road program and built it into a perennial playoff contender from 2018-2021, accumulating a 42-7 overall record. In 2021, he led the Patriots to a 14-0 season. They defeated Pleasant Grove 51-14 in the state championship game.

Greenville struggled in his one year there, going just 1-9 with a young team.

“Greenville is positioned to be very successful in the future,” Browning said. “We started mostly freshmen and sophomores this past season, are currently building a state of the art football stadium, our strength and conditioning program this off-season has been phenomenal and, most importantly, the players have bought in to the importance of hard work, accountability and doing the right thing at all times. I feel everything is positioned to return Greenville as a championship contender, and I am proud of the chance to be a part of that process.”

Browning heads to Alabama State with 16 years of coaching experience. He will work for head coach Eddie Robinson Jr.

He grew up in Ashland and played high school football for legendary coach Danny Horn. He served as a volunteer student assistant at Auburn, spent three years as an assistant coach at Beauregard, three years as offensive coordinator at Dadeville and one year as quarterbacks coach at Prairie View A&M before taking over at Pike Road.