Hallam is the new Faith Academy football head coach

CAPTION: After more than a decade of walking the Faith Academy of Marble Falls sideline, Stephen Shipley will now become the Flames football adviser to new head coach John Hallam. Photo by Stennis Shotts

A new football head coach will walk the sidelines of Britton Field at Faith Academy of Marble Falls this season.

John Hallam takes over for Stephen Shipley, who will become the football adviser so he can devote more time to his business, Shipley Land Co.

“We had to move some stuff around,” athletic director Zakk Revelle said. “It took some major stress away from him.”

Hallam comes to Faith Academy after almost a decade on the Austin Veritas Academy coaching staff and a year at Valor Public Schools in Austin. On the Faith Academy’s social media, Hallam said he was excited to lead the Flames.

“I have been a fan of Faith Academy since coach Shipley took over the program,” he wrote. “It was Faith Academy that handed Veritas the only district loss I experienced in my eight years on the Veritas coaching staff.”

“Hallam is an incredible man and coach,” Revelle said. “He was on the Veritas football staff in different capacities. In the six-man private world, you know Veritas. He was pretty sought after. We’re really fortunate to get him.”

Hallam, who will teach Bible and history at Faith’s junior high, will work primarily on the offensive side of the ball, which was Shipley’s forte. Jay Silvers continues as the defensive coordinator and the lead assistant.

Hallam had already agreed to join Shipley’s staff this season. But projects for Shipley Land Co. compelled the owner to tell Faith Academy officials it would be best for the players, the program and the school for him to change his role.

“Coach Hallam was going to be the lead assistant,” Revelle said. “They’d been in discussions all summer. (Shipley) will continue to work with coach Hallam when he can. He still wants to be involved, and we want him to be involved when he can be, when his job allows.”

This is the third time Shipley has stepped down as the Flames head coach. He stepped away at the end of the 2016 and 2018 seasons. But being away from the sideline proved to be a huge challenge for him because of his love for the sport.

He was a receiver for Texas Christian University in the 1980s and is the father of Hanner Shipley, who played college football, the brother of Bob Shipley, the head coach who guided the Burnet Bulldogs to back-to-back Class 3A state runner-up finishes in 2002 and 2003, and the uncle of University of Texas receivers Jordan and Jaxon Shipley.

In all, Stephen Shipley has been apart of the Faith coaching staff for more than a decade, culminating in guiding the Flames to the Class 2A six-man state championship game in 2021 where they lost to Waco Live Oak Classical 46-41.

Revelle said that while Hallam is a tremendous hire, it was difficult to see Shipley not be as involved in Faith athletics.

“I love coach Shipley — we’re good friends,” he said. “Since I’ve been the athletic director, he’s made my life so much easier. He’s taught me a lot. It was sad for me cause I was hoping we could continue. It was not an easy decision for him whatsoever. He’s an incredible man and coach.”

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CAPTION: New Faith Academy football head coach John Hallam. Courtesy photo