Ron Crawford will soon be returning to the Brentwood High School football sidelines.

Crawford, who served as head coach of the Bruins from 2002 to 2011, has been hired for the same position.

“We definitely are very excited to have him back, and I’m sure what everybody will do is just move forward like there’s never been a coach Crawford absence,” Brentwood athletic director Ronnie Seigenthaler said. “From an athletic administration standpoint, you want to know what you’ve got, and we do.”

Crawford has strong family ties in the Midstate area, one of the biggest reasons he decided to come back to Brentwood from Cleveland, where he had coached the previous three seasons.

“Even though we were only two hours away, it will still be nice to be closer to the family,” Crawford said. “I have an 11-month old niece, a seven-month old niece, and grandchildren. This is the second time in three years the job has been opened, and the second time they’ve reached out to me. I figured, that’s where we need to be.”

Crawford compiled a 94-32 (.746) record in his first stint at Brentwood, leading the Bruins to a Class 5A state title in his first season. He replaces Mike Woodward, who was fired after struggling to a 5-15 record in two seasons.

“It’s huge,” Seigenthaler said of the hiring. “There won’t be – for lack of a better word – a honeymoon period. We know each other so well. We understand his expectations, we understand his work habits and we understand what he represents and stands for.

“It will be land on your feet in a familiar place, roll your sleeves up and hit the ground running.”

With new TSSAA restructuring back to region play next season, Brentwood has dropped down to 5A to play in a region with the likes of schools from Clarksville, Henry County and Dickson County. Centennial will be the only Williamson County school in its region, but Brentwood will still play 6A schools Franklin, Independence and Ravenwood in the non-region schedule.

“Those are the rivalries everyone looks forward to seeing,” Crawford said. “There’s great competitiveness within Williamson County. We’re still going to play those schools.”

Crawford, who was inducted into the Riverdale Football Hall of Fame this summer, served as defensive coordinator under coach Gary Rankin, helping lead the Warriors to two state championships (1997, 2001).

Crawford led Cleveland to a 21-15 record and two Class 5A playoff appearances. He has also made coaching stops at Shelbyville Central, Riverdale High School and Coffee County.

“There is no official start date that I am aware of,” Seigenthaler said. “Our goal is obviously sooner than later … I’ve challenged our current coaching staff to make sure that we don’t miss a beat. When coach Crawford lands on his feet, that’s exactly what he’s going to walk in to. They’ve been working exceptionally hard.”

Reach Michael Murphy at 259-8018 and on Twitter @Murph_TNsports.

Ron Crawford has been hired as head football coach at Brentwood High School.