Veteran football coach Bobby Parrish has stepped down at Cottage Hill Christian in Mobile.

Head of school Chris Brazell made the announcement Wednesday afternoon.

“Coach P has made the difficult decision to step away as head coach of our football program in order to fully commit his time and energy to the care of himself and his family,” Brazell said. “He has been a faithful member of our team for the past five years, leading and mentoring our student-athletes with enthusiasm and excellence. We are grateful for his dedication to our students and athletes alike.”

Brazell said Parrish would continue his role as a PE teacher until the end of the year and “always” will remain part of the Cottage Hill family.

“The leadership team will pursue the best possible candidate to lead our students in our halls and on the football field,” Brazell said. “While change is never easy, we are grateful for God’s calling on Coach P’s life and confident in His faithful provision for Cottage Hill Christian Academy.”

Parrish said, after 37 years in education, it was just time for him to step down.

“You’ve just got to know when to say when,” he told AL.com. “It’s something I’ve been contemplating for a minute. It takes a lot of time and energy to run a successful program. With everything going on at home, I needed that time and energy to spend with my wife and my family. I wanted to go ahead and step down now so they could find someone before spring training.”

Parrish spent the last two years as Cottage Hill’s head coach, going 8-11 in that time frame. His team won its last three games in 2022 and Tyler Thomas, Trent Thomas and Kelvon McBride all signed major college football scholarships.

Parrish is best known for his 13-year tenure at Williamson from 1999-2011. He went 96-57 overall and led the Lions to nine straight playoff berths. Williamson played for the 5A state title in his first year with Jamarcus Russell at quarterback. The Lions also reached the semifinals twice and the quarterfinals twice under Parrish.

After going into administration for several years, Parrish coached defensive backs for two years in Mississippi before joining Brazell’s Cottage Hill staff as defensive coordinator for three years. When Brazell accepted the head of school job, Parrish was promoted to head coach.

“I enjoyed it all,” he said. “Football is football, and I enjoyed being back in charge. I have no regrets.”

Parrish said he has no plans to coach again.

“I’m done,” he said. “Now, I just want to sit back and go to games and enjoy watching football and playing with the grandkids.”