A familiar face to some in Pike County is the next head football coach at McComb High School.
Last week, Willie Brown was hired to take over the McComb football program after Jeffery Gibson resigned in January.
“I just thought it was a good opportunity,” Brown said. “I’m excited.”
Brown coached at South Pike for two seasons in 2010-11 and finished with a combined record of 11-14 in the two seasons.
He led the team to a 8-6 record in 2011, which was the last winning season the program had before the Eagles finished 10-4 in 2017. Brown also helped get the Eagles to the third round of the Class 4A playoffs before losing 18-16 to Quitman.
Following the 2011 season, Brown’s contract wasn’t renewed in Magnolia and he became the head coach at Lanier.
Prior to his time at South Pike, the former Alcorn State defensive tackle was a head coach at Port Gibson, Greenville and Hazlehurst, where he won the 3A state title in 2005.
Brown was also the head football coach and athletic director at Moss Point High and this past season, he was the defensive coordinator at Hazlehurst.
Hazlehurst squared off with McComb in the 2017 season and Brown said he saw some good things from the Tigers.
“I saw some athletic guys,” Brown said. “I was impressed with what they were able to do.”
Brown said instilling a culture is one of the main things he wants to do in McComb.
“We have to create an atmosphere where they believe in themselves,” he said. “Have to understand McComb has tradition and we have to honor that tradition.”
The new coach also stressed the importance of helping build quality young men, emphasizing that they are respectful to others and are attending class.
Despite his history at South Pike, Brown said he isn’t thinking about the past, he said he is focused on coaching football at McComb.
“I’m just happy to be able to be a part of the McComb family,” he said. “I’m overjoyed.”
Brown was a member of Alcorn State's 1984 SWAC championship team. He coached at two high schools in his native New Orleans — O.P. Walker and West Jefferson — before beginning his Mississippi coaching career as defensive line coach at Alcorn in 1994.
Gibson was McComb’s head football and track coach, but Brown said he’ll only be coaching football.
