Louisville residents Coach Jim Duncan and his wife, the late Coach Deborah Norwood Duncan, were recently inducted into the Bayou Academy Sports Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony was on October 1, 2021. Bayou Academy is an MSAIS school located in Cleveland, MS. Prior to coaching at Bayou, they both taught and coached at Winston Academy. The Duncans coached and taught at Bayou Academy from 1974 to 1980. Jim also served as High School principal, and Deborah served as an advanced science teacher.
Deborah primarily coached girl’s basketball and track. Girl’s athletics excelled under her leadership. Her basketball teams consistently finished at or near the top of the district and North state. Where her teams truly excelled was in girls track. Her teams won numerous district and North state championships, and between 1976 and 1978, she achieved a 3-peat, with her track teams winning 3 consecutive overall AA State Track Championships. During those years, her teams set numerous state records, including a relay record set in 1977 that stood for over 40 years. Students who were fortunate enough to have had her as a teacher, are well aware that she was equally as good a teacher as she was a coach, teaching advanced science courses like chemistry and physics.
Deborah recently passed away after a long battle with cancer, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame posthumously. Louisville residents will recall that, prior to her coaching and teaching career, she was an outstanding basketball player at Louisville High School in the late 1960’s and played collegiately at MUW.
Jim coached for over 25 years with stops at Neshoba Central High School, Winston Academy, Bayou Academy, North Sunflower Academy, Newton High School, Sumpter (AL) Academy, and and Philadelphia High School, and had a teaching career that spanned almost 40 years..
At Bayou, Jim coached football, basketball, baseball and track. His teams were consistent winners in all 4 sports. His football teams won the North AA division championship in 1976, and were co-champions in 1975 and 1977. His basketball teams won the North AA division championship outright in 1976, 1977, and 1978. His track teams won North AA division championships in 1976 and 1977, and was runner up state champions in 1977. His track teams set several district and North state records during these years. His football teams at Newton made the playoffs every year he coached there.
He was named Coach of the Year in 1978, and coached in several All-Star games. He still resides in Louisville.
