Just 10 years ago, Chip Lindsey accepted his first head coaching job at tiny Colbert Heights, just outside Tuscumbia.

Today, the 41-year-old Lindsey is considered a rising star on the college scene after being hired as the new offensive coordinator at Arizona State for an annual salary of $550,000. How did Chip Lindsey rise -- in a just a decade -- from Alabama high school coach to offensive coordinator in the Pac-12?

Chip Lindsey went 29-17 in four seasons as a head coach at Alabama high schools. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

“I coached and just tried to do the best job I could wherever I was,” Lindsey said this week in a phone interview from Arizona. “I was fortunate that opportunities followed.”

In high school, Lindsey coached alongside legendary high school coaches John Mothershed at served on the Auburn staff of Gus Malzahn when the Tigers advanced to the BCS National Championship Game.

RELATED: See Lindsey and other members of the Rush Propst Coaching Tree

Along the way, his offensive philosophy changed.

“In high school, I was more of a spread you out guy,” he said. “You still have to run the football and we still had that element, but you’ve got to get the best athletes you can on the field. All you can present to them is to have a good time. You don’t have a scholarship to offer.

“In college, you realize you better be able to run the football,” he added. “Then, you can have play-action and tempo and the screen game and all those other things.”

At Southern Miss this season, Lindsey coordinated an offense that ranks ninth nationally in total offense, at 519 yards per game, and 12th in scoring at 40.6 points. Quarterback Nick Mullens completed 64 percent of his passes for 4,145 yards and a school-record 36 touchdowns as the Golden Eagles (9-4) earned a berth in Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl.

Southern Miss even rolled up a school-record 682 yards in a 65-10 victory over Rice in November.

Lindsey, though, isn't getting ready for Southern Miss' bowl. Instead, he's helping Arizona State prepare to play West Virginia in the Motel 6 Cactus Bowl on Jan. 2, after Sun Devils' offensive coordinator Mike Norvell went to Memphis as the Tigers' new head coach.

Lindsey said he hopes to eventually become a college head coach, but he also recognizes that his success could lead to other high school coaches’ getting a shot in the college game.

“You would hope so,” Lindsey said. “There are a lot of really good coaches at that level, and they just need the opportunity. I’ve been fortunate to get that opportunity. You just work hard every day to treat people the right way, recruit good players, do a good job and see what happens in the future.”

It worked for Chip Lindsey.

THE LINDSEY FILE

Name: Chip Lindsey

Age: 41

Current job: Offensive coordinator, Arizona State

Family: Wife, Cecily and four children -- Claire, Caroline, Cooper and Conner

Coaching career: Served as an assistant at Spain Park High in suburban Birmingham; spent 2013 as offensive analyst at Auburn; spent 2014-15 as offensive coordinator at Southern Miss; hired last week as offensive coordinator at Arizona State

Playing career: Played briefly at Division II North Alabama after graduating from Bob Jones in Madison