Webster Progress Times
What would a football coach from French Camp, a softball coach from Winona, a track coach from Kosciusko and a tennis coach from East Webster have in common? They would likely all be members of the Mississippi Associations of Coaches (MAC), along with about 5,000 other coaches from around the state.
“It is a membership-based organization for all the coaches in the state of Mississippi,” said MAC Executive Director Johnny Mims.
The organization conducts a clinic each summer, sponsors all star games in eight sports, recognizes members for service, has a coaches' hall of fame, publishes an annual membership directory and provides life insurance for its members.
The annual clinic presents seminars on rules and coaching by successful high school and college coaches.
There are all-star games pitting North and South teams in football, boys and girls basketball, baseball, fast pitch and slow pitch softball, boys and girls soccer, volleyball and tennis. There are also all star games pitting Mississippi against Alabama in football and boys and girls basketball, with state pride and bragging rights on the line.
There have been discussions with Alabama officials about adding interstate games in other sports, such as baseball, according to Mims. “That's something that we are looking at to maybe add down the road,” he said. The hangup is finding sponsorship.
The Mississippi-Alabama football game was played during the summer until 2007, then moved to December, a week after championship games. The change was made because players began enrolling in colleges early.
“We looked up in July and half of our players had already reported to Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Southern, Alabama or wherever they were going,” Mims said. “The college coaches wanted them on campus.”
All-star coaches are chosen by a committee for each sport based upon experience and records.
Coaches at Mississippi Association of Independent Schools are eligible for MAC membership, but they are not eligible to coach in the all-star games and their athletes are not eligible for the teams. Mims said that does prevent talented players from representing Mississippi against Alabama.
He pointed out that the top-rated player in the state last year was Jackson Prep running back Jerrion Ealy, now a freshman at Ole Miss. “We would have loved to have had him.”
The MAC was founded in 1954. Mims became executive director in 2001 when his predecessor Doug Fowler retired. He had sold his insurance agency in Vicksburg when he was approached by MAC.
“They called me one day and asked if I would be interested in interviewing. I said, ‘Man I have never coached for a living.’”
He was told MAC wanted to go a different direction with an executive director who had a business background.
“It was kind of a weird deal. I said I would come do it for a year and see how I like it. If I don’t like it, we will shake hands and part company. Eighteen years later, I am still here.”
That’s because of his love for sports. He played several sports at Vicksburg High School, including football as the Gators’ quarterback in the last 1970s. Then it was on to Ole Miss, where he played baseball for Jake Gibbs.
“I have always had a love for sports and for coaches. Coaches are some of the most under-appreciated people out there.
“A lot of people judge coaches on wins and losses. I know at the end of the day that’s what it is always about.” But he added, “A lot of coaches do a lot of coaching off the field. That’s what I love about it, the quality of the coaching.”
