After six seasons at Winona Christian, football coach Junior Graham resigned his position recently.
Graham announced last week that he has stepped down as head football coach and will be taking a job at Starkville Academy.
Graham said he has nothing but special feelings for Winona Christian.
“Winona Christian is a special place,” Graham said. “Facilities and that type of stuff doesn’t make it special, it’s the people. There are lots of special kids and people there. I feel like I have made a lot of friends for the remainder of my life with those players and students. That will be special for me. Winona Christian is where we have driven to work for the last six years. My son graduated from high school there. We may move on but as a family, we will always be a Star.”
Despite coming off a down season in football, Graham had plenty of success at Winona Christian. The Stars won three district championships under Graham in 2016, 2018 and 2019. In the 2019 and 2020, the Stars made it the Class 3A semifinals. Graham’s best season was 2020 when the Stars went 10-3 and lost to eventual champion Greenville Christian in the semifinals.
“It was just time,” Graham said. “We have hired three new coaches to head our programs in the last years. When I watch those guys and the youthful energy that they have, I know I don’t have that like I used to. And we are at a time when that is important. That played into the decision as well.”
Graham said the duties of being an athletic director also wore on him over the years.
“I have been an athletic director for 22 years and it finally became work,” Graham said. “I told myself when it became work, it was time to do something else. Next year, when I go to a gym or field, I hope it’s to watch a game and not to supervise the stands. It was just a perfect storm of looking to step back and just be able to coach and to get away from administrative duties and hit the reset button. It was just time for a reset.”
Graham has already taken a position at Starkville Academy where he will be an assistant junior high coach and an assistant baseball coach.
“The Starkville Academy job just presented itself,” Graham said. “It’s hard to leave Winona Christian but Starkville is a good school and it will be a good place to hit that reset button. I will be working with two really good guys. Coach (Lee) Berryhill was my baseball coach when I was athletic director at Eupora.”
Graham said he will stay on with the school through the end of the school year and there is still plenty that needs to be done.
“There are lots of things I have to get in order before I leave,” Graham said. “I have to put a sprinkler system in and want to get all of that set up and ready to go. I want to get everything inventoried. I’m going to stay through the end of the year and fulfill those duties that I said I would. I want everything to be right for whoever Winona Christian hires.”
