Coaches have an everlasting impact on the players they instruct.
And so to honor that fact, a fellowship dinner was held to honor a pair of past football coaches from Southwest Mississippi Community College on Saturday at Golden Corral.
Former head coach Floyd Davis and former player and coach Mac Anders were honored at the event, and past players were also in attendance to celebrate their accomplishments.
The duo coached together from 1974-1983, and they were notably the only two members on the staff, with Davis handling the offensive side of the ball while Anders acted as defensive coordinator.
Thus, Davis and Anders handled everything from mowing the field, to washing jerseys and even making sure the "Bear Cage" was protected properly.
Davis was a longtime coach for the Bears who helped mentor multiple staff members that went on to become head coaches and/or athletic directors in other places. He has since passed and thus was honored in spirit.
"Coach Floyd was a disciplinarian, he ran a good ship," Anders said of his former co-worker. "There wasn't a lot of horsing around. People were going to do their jobs."
Anders was inducted into the Missisippi Community and Junior College Sports Hall of Fame in 2022 following a standout career as both as a coach and player.
The former McComb Tiger starred on the field as a defensive back and played both DB and receiver during his time as a Bear. He was named team MVP and was an Honorable Mention All-State performer while at SMCC.
Following multiple coaching stops elsewhere, Anders began working under Davis in 1974.
"I was the coach and they were the players, but we enjoyed ourselves," Anders said. "And I have a story with almost everybody in here."
He went on to become a head coach and athletic director at North Pike from 1983-2006 and dabbled in radio work after that.
In 1996, Anders was inducted into the Southwest Mississippi Community College Sports Hall of Fame.
Anthony Williams, a SMCC Sports Hall of Fame inductee as well, coordinated with former players and coaches to set up the event and also led the festivities.
After everybody ate and reintroduced themselves with each other, past athletes took to the microphone to share stories and memories of their times at Southwest. They shared tales that prompted plenty of laughter and an almost equal amount of tears, creating a memorable night for all involved.
Before leaving, each former player also signed custom-made books for their coaches. They jotted down their name, years they were at Southwest, what position they played, a quick note, and most importantly, their phone numbers so they could stay in touch.
"It's hard to put into words what this means," Anders said. "I've seen several of these kids over the years, but seeing so many of them is really rewarding."
