Elberta head football coach Nate McDaniel went searching for a proven offensive coordinator this winter.

He came back with a big name.

The Warriors have hired 10-time AISA state champion head coach Bobby Carr to lead their offensive attack. Carr was officially approved by the Baldwin County Board of Education on Thursday.

“It’s a huge hire for us,” McDaniel said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for Bobby as well, and he brings a lot to us. He is a big name who has won a lot of championships and is a heck of a playcaller. I’m always looking for guys who are a lot smarter than I am, and anytime I can get someone of that caliber I’m more than happy bring them on board.”

Carr replaces Andrew Davis, who left McDaniel’s staff after a decade to join the Spanish Fort staff. The relationship between Carr and McDaniel dates back nearly 25 years. McDaniel played football and baseball for Carr at New Life Christian in Millbrook, Ala., during his ninth, 10th and 11th grade seasons.

“He left my junior year and went to Edgewood,” McDaniel said. “During that transition, I considered transferring to Edgewood as well with Bobby. I ended up transferring to Prattville instead and graduating there, but Bobby and I never lost touch.”

McDaniel called Carr, seeking a reference on one of Carr’s former assistants for his vacant OC job only to find out Carr was interested himself. He spent the 2022 season as head coach at Presbyterian Christian School in Mississippi. He told that school last month he was pursuing other opportunities.

“My first thought was there was no way he would be interested, but he’s been in private school for a long time, and he needs to get into the state retirement system,” McDaniel said. “We’ve met two or three times and had great conversations and here we are.”

Carr has won 250 games in 25 years as a head coach in Alabama. He went 40-16 in five years at New Life, 162-25 in 15 years at Edgewood and 48-11 in five years at Autauga Academy. He won seven AISA state championships at Edgewood, including six in a row at the end of his tenure there, and added three more as head coach at Autauga Academy. He won a fourth championship at Autauga as OC before taking over as head coach.

“Anytime you can get someone, whether it is Bobby or whoever, who has been the last man standing in a 14 or 15-game season, who has won championships, has won in the big moments – it is huge,” McDaniel said. “When those type guys want to come to Elberta, that says a lot about what we are building here.

“And he’s not the only guy on our staff with state championship rings. Elberta has great people. The kids are great. The administration is great, and they believe in what we are doing. It takes time to build it. We are still a young program but getting someone like Bobby says a lot.”

Elberta went just 2-8 a year ago in the tough Class 5A, Region 1 and scored just 109 points. Their season high for points under McDaniel was 270 in 2020. He believes Carr is the right person to raise that number considerably.

“This is a place where you have to win a little differently,” McDaniel said. “It’s not an easy gig, but we have kids who work hard and want to be successful. I think you have to run the football at Elberta, be more physical and establish a clear offensive identity. I think Bobby will come in and say, ‘This is who we are, this is what we do, this is our identity,’ and get everyone believing in that.”

Carr is looking forward to the challenge.

“I’m extremely excited to be working at Elberta High School and work for Mr. (Branton) Bailey (principal) and Nathan McDaniel,” he told AL.com. “I’ve always talked to my players about being servant leaders, and this gives me the opportunity to serve under one of my former players. I look forward to getting in and evaluating the guys that are there and implementing an offense that best fits our personnel.”