Newly appointed Chelsea head football coach and athletic director Wade Waldrop knows this is where he is supposed to be.

The former UAB football player has spent the last five years chasing his dream of becoming a head football coach &8212; and now he has that chance.

&8220;This is where I want to be,&8221; Waldrop said. &8220;I&8217;ve been working toward this, and I feel lucky to have been given the opportunity to move into such a great program.&8221;

Waldrop is not a stranger to Chelsea football, however. The Hartselle native spent two years coaching a variety of positions before being promoted to defensive coordinator last season.

Waldrop said he admires former Hornets coach Watt Parker for all he did in five years of coaching at Chelsea and admits he doesn&8217;t foresee and major changes to the way the football team operates.

&8220;Watt left this program in better shape than when he arrived here,&8221; Waldrop said. &8220;They&8217;re will be some subtle differences next season from past years, but I&8217;m grateful that we&8217;re not having to go wholesale and change everything.&8221;

Waldrop will face some big challenges in his first year as head coach &8212; the biggest of which is the Hornets&8217; move from Class 4A to 5A.

&8220;It&8217;s a good challenge to have,&8221; he admits. &8220;It&8217;s always where you want to see your program going, so it&8217;s definitely a positive.&8221;

Waldrop and his wife Kimberly are expecting their first child, a girl, in a little more than four weeks, leaving him scrambling to prepare for the upcoming season.

&8220;This spring has already been very busy for me,&8221; he said. &8220;And I think it&8217;s only going to get worse.&8221;

The Hornets are scheduled to start spring practice on April 24 and play Jemison in their spring game on May 12.

Waldrop said he hopes the players&8217; already knowing him will help the transition go smoother.

&8220;From a comfort level, it&8217;s good for them that the day-to-day operations of the football program are not changing,&8221; he said. &8220;They already know what our expectations are and know we&8217;re going to be pushing them right from the beginning.&8221;