Track and field programs around the state used to be an afterthought.
Coaches from the two major sports — football and basketball — usually ‘coached’ the sport and received some supplemental pay just for showing up.
Some knew what they were doing. Others needed a how-to book.
Little did Mark Lang know that when former McComb football coach Chet Bergalowski asked him to coach junior high track in 1982, it would turn into a 32-year career.
Lang, who has coached at McComb year-round in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track, saw his tenure come to an end Saturday at the Class 5A state championship meet in Pearl.
Lang, 57, isn’t technically retiring, because he’ll still be teaching science in the school district next year. But he’ll relinquish his head coaching duties. Lang will still be around, helping with the summer program and some volunteer work next season.
“It’s just a program I don’t want to see go down and that’s what I’ve been holding out for,” Lang said. “I just found someone that could fill my shoes and take over the program.”
Lang found that person in Jeffery Gibson, a former Amite County hurdler who was hired as McComb’s offensive coordinator last season. McComb hasn’t officially introduced a new coach yet, but Gibson appears to be the likely candidate. He was a part of three state championship teams at Amite County from 1993-95 and spent 10 years as a track coach in Oklahoma.
Lang had contemplated stepping down for some time, but never found the right person to take over.
Far too often, coaches leave and a program never returns to its full potential. This was one reason why Lang was so reluctant to pass the torch.
“If you see a head coach retire, the program is almost always going to fall apart and you built a tradition, and I would not go out without someone to take it over,” Lang said.
That all changed when he saw Gibson’s determination this past winter during the indoor season. It was more of a test from Lang to see if Gibson could handle the rigors of the day-to-day job.
Gibson passed with flying colors.
“I came to the decision in January when I knew how knowledgeable and dedicated Coach Gibson was,” Lang said.
Joining Gibson on staff is Chris Samuels and Comesha Tucker, both of whom competed for McComb under Lang. Samuels helped with the discus and shot put this season, while Tucker dealt with the sprinters.
“This is an area that has been known for track, and I know I’m going to put my heart and soul into it and keep this program to the level that it’s been at,” Gibson said.
Lang leaves behind a strong legacy at McComb, one that saw him turn around the program when he took over the varsity squad in 1997. The Tigers went on to win the 1998 state championship, and the Lady Tigers captured three titles in 2003, 2009 and 2010.
The junior high job forced him to teach young athletes the bare essentials of track and field, which helped him down the road when the program was his own baby.
“In junior high, you got to teach every event because the kids come to you not knowing anything,” Lang said. “I learned a lot over the years from teaching kids.”
As Lang groomed Gibson to take over the program, Lang limited his own coaching to the jumpers in his final year. The rest of his time was spent filling out paperwork.
Fittingly enough, he had two individual state champions and a runner-up finisher. Roy Bibbs and Thomeisha Swington, who were both ranked No. 1 in their respective fields, took home first-place medals. Bibbs won the triple jump with a leap of 47-51/2, and Swington won the long jump with a 19-8. Both are seniors, but junior Treston Waddell finished second in the high jump in just his second year of competition.
“I hate to see him go but he’ll still be with us for track,” said Waddell, who moved from North Carolina two years ago. “If Coach (Gibson) wasn’t here, we’d probably just be goofing around. He puts the authority in it to make us do good.”
Lang first saw Waddell in McComb’s hallway last year and noticed how big his calf muscles were. After a quick conversation, he convinced Waddell, who had no previous experience, to join the team.
It’s little interactions like the one with Waddell that have helped McComb create such a consistent track program.
“It’s tough for him, I know, but he’s been waiting for someone to come in that is passionate about track,” Gibson said. “He wants to hand it down to someone who is passionate about it and that is going to work hard at it and is serious about it.”
One thing Lang won’t witness is McComb’s new track being put to good use. Design problems will force the new track to be removed and replaced.
The lanes on the track were just 40 inches wide instead of the mandatory 42 inches. The track was also 11 feet too long.
Lang intended to submit a bid to host the 5A South State tournament, but those plans were derailed when the track’s specifications were incorrect.
McComb managed just a few practices on the track earlier this spring before it was closed down.
It now sits locked and unoccupied, which is not exactly the way Lang thought his final official days as head coach would look like.
“Beautiful — just not what we paid for,” said Lang, looking at the sun-drenched track.
