Givens named Patriots athletic director

Brian Givens is working as Athletic Director for Bob Jones High School. CONTRIBUTED

MADISON – For Brian Givens, athletics always has been instrumental in shaping him as an individual. Now, he is sharing that influence with others as Athletic Director at Bob Jones High School.

“Since I was five years old, I’ve participated in (numerous) sports that have helped facilitate a greater drive to succeed with a goal in mind, ability to work in a team environment and resiliency when dealing with failure,” Givens said.

As a former coach, Givens enjoyed the “process of molding student-athletes the way many coaches built relationships with me.”

For many years, Bob Jones has earned respect as having one of Alabama’s best athletic departments, he said. “I’m now privileged to be in a leadership position to help serve coaches and student-athletes in any way possible to strive towards a common goal,” he said.

As athletic director, Givens, who is 32, coordinates coaching contracts, daily conflicts, media needs, preparing and upgrading facilities, along with managing gatekeepers, money boxes, time sheets and scholarship signings.

As assistant athletic director, Kent Chambers handles athletic eligibility, C2C paperwork and numerous other duties.

Every day is different for Givens. Typically, he arrives around 7 a.m., and his day ends depending on athletic events hosted at home or played away. “I do my best to attend as many practices as possible. It’s very important to me that all student-athletes, parents and coaches know that all athletic programs at Bob Jones are valued,” Givens said.

Givens earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of North Alabama and a master’s degree in instructional leadership at Jacksonville State University.

Givens’ first teaching assignment was at Central High School in Florence. In 2008, he accepted an opening at Hazel Green High School in Madison County Schools and later was honored as “Teacher of the Year.”

In 2014, Givens switched to Madison City Schools as assistant principal at Columbia Elementary School. Most recently, he worked as assistant principal at Bob Jones.

His wife Jana works as a registered nurse at Huntsville Hospital Heart Care Center. Their three-year-old son Owen attends daycare at Huntsville Hospital.