Mark Lang’s secret to his success is quite simple: Have gifted athletes, a little bit of luck — and the ability to listen.
Lang was recently honored as the Mississippi Association of Coaches’ Girls Track and Field Coach of the Year for the 2009-10 school term.
The Tigers’ veteran head coach was honored during a banquet last month at the Jackson Hilton.
Lang said he found out about the award in a letter her received from the MAC.
“I don’t like a lot of recognition,” he said. “The kids should get the recognition.”
Lang said he originally didn’t plan to go to the awards banquet until his mother, Bobbye, convinced him.
“I told my mother about it. She said, ‘Oh, you’re going,’ ” Lang said.
When Lang first came to McComb, he was an assistant coach under then-head coach Mark Calhoun.
When Calhoun resigned in May 1995 to take a job in the Rankin County School District, he left the track program in the capable hands of Lang. It’s been a successful ride ever since.
Under Lang, the McComb boys won their first and only track title in 1998. The Tigers also won South State six years in a row (2004-09).
The girls have reach the pinnacle of track and field three times, garnering state track and field crowns in 2003, ’08 and ’09.
Both the McComb boys’ and girls’ teams were Class 5A state runners-up. The girls finished tied with Pearl for second at the state meet behind champion Oxford. The boys tied for second with Oxford behind champion Pearl.
Lang said he’s had some very capable and talented athletes, and he has. His athletes have won a combined 51 state championships as individuals or relay teams.
“There’s a lot of speed in our area,” he said. “I’ve been blessed with a lot of great athletes.”
But another secret to Lang’s success has been simple. A winning coach needs to listen.
“You listen, you learn,” Lang said. “I just listened to other coaches and what they tell their kids. Even in the 30-some-odd years I’ve been doing this, I still pick up new stuff from other coaches.”
Lang said two of his biggest influences have been former McComb track and field coach and current McComb School District Deputy Superintendant Levander German and Amite County track and field coach Charlie Floyd.
“We’ve had some strong coaches in our area,” Lang said. “When you’ve been around long enough, you listen to veteran coaches and you learn a lot.”
Along with building the McComb track and field program into not only state but national prominence, Lang also helped organize the school’s cross-country teams.
Lang admits his coaching duties leave him little free time throughout the year.
“You’ve got to put in the time,” he said. “It’s an all year-long thing. You’ve got to spend the time and you’ve got to listen to other coaches.”
As to which he’d rather coach, Lang said individual events are much easier on a coach.
“Relay teams make me nervous,” Lang said. “Individual events, people give you their best effort.
“On relays,” he added, “you have to get people to mesh. They’ve got to all be together and right on time.”
