Hilton Harrell is used to having success on the hardwood, as the longtime basketball head coach has made winning a habit at a variety of stops.
And at his most recent coaching gig, Harrell has continued his impressive track record.
Harrell's Leake County Gators secured their second-straight district title with a 49-41 win over Taylorsville on Friday, and the achievement just so happens to come in the head coach's second season at the helm.
A Magnolia native and Liberty High School graduate, Harrell attended Southwest Mississippi Community College and eventually went on to play in the NBA for the Houston Rockets as a shooting guard.
Amidst wildly successful coaching tenures with South Pike and McComb, Harrell notably won the 2014 and 2015 MHSAA 4A state titles with the Tigers. The championships were part of a dominant era under Harrell that saw McComb consistently make deep postseason runs.
Harrell also still serves as a senior pastor at Pleasant Grove East McComb Baptist Church.
Harrell's Gators will next host fourth-seeded Ethel in the first round of the MHSAA 1A playoffs at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.
