MEADVILLE — For the seventh time in 11 years, Franklin County High School will conduct a head football coaching search.
Lincoln County native Anthony Hart has accepted the head coaching position at Madison Central. Hart leaves the 3A Bulldogs for a 6A program that is considered one of the best jobs in the entire Southeast.
Hart will be introduced Friday at Madison Central.
“It’s shocking,” Bulldogs junior standout De’Martre Collins said about Hart’s departure. “It really caught a lot of us bysurprise.”
Hart who conducted Spring Practice at Franklin County on Wednesday will take over a Jaguars’ program, replacing Brad Peterson, who left earlier this month for an off-field staff position at Mississippi State.
“When you talk about Madison Central, you talk about one of the very best schools and best jobs in the state of Mississippi,” Hart said. “I’m looking forward to it and I’m very excited about it. It’s a good place for my family tobe.”
Hart leaves FCHS after two seasons in his second stint at the school, where he led the Bulldogs to 8-5 and 7-4 records, including a region title in 2014.
Franklin County lost to Kemper County in the second round of the Class 3A playoffs last year, but returns a solid group that many feel has the potential to make a run at a State Championship in the Fall.
In 2004, Hart left Franklin County after serving three years as head coach of the Bulldogs. He took a job at Lafayette County and guided the Commodores to back to back 4A State Championships in 2010 and 2011. The highlight of his coaching career includes a 32 game win streak.
Hart spent nine years at Lafayette, the first seven as head coach, compiling a 90-19 record with three region championships. The Commodores lost to St. Stanislaus in the 2009 Class 4A championship and beat North Pike and Laurel the next two seasons for the school’s first championships.
During the Commodores win streak, they posted six shutouts and held opponents to a touchdown or less 15 other times.
He returned to FC in 2014.
The Bulldogs won the 2006 3A Championship under Grady McCluskey, who is an assistant coach at Alabama powerhouse Baker High.
“When I was at Lafayette, we played some 6A schools and some 5A schools,” Hart said. “At the end of the day, it’s about preparation and getting players ready and having great players and a great staff to go with it. The run at Lafayette prepared me. I got to see a little bit of everything.”
Overall, Hart has been a head coach for 15 seasons, including stops at his alma mater Loyd Star and West Lauderdale. His teams went to the postseason 14 times.
