Another new coach has filled a vacancy in the football staff of Pearl River Central High School, defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Adam Thompson.

Raised by a sports oriented family, Thompson grew up in Taylorsville, Mississippi where he played for the majority of his football career at Taylorsville High School and Taylorsville Community College.

“My family loves sports. Both of my parents were involved in sports and growing up with that type of atmosphere was really enjoyable for me,” said Thompson.

The Giants drafted his father, Jimmy Thompson, out of USM to play baseball, when they were in New York, Adam Thompson said. His mother, Sue Thompson, was also involved in sports; she was awarded the best female athlete at her high school.

Adam Thompson knew he was going to become a coach at the age of 12, saying it was not only his parents that had influenced him, but also his uncles.

“I have two uncles, Bruce and Doug Merchant, who are well-known coaches around this area. They would always pick me up from practice to take me to their practice, where I would watch them coach their teams. I learned a lot from just watching them and to this day it still impacts the way I coach,” said Adam Thompson.

Former players under his tutelage would describe him as an aggressive and always prepared coach, said Adam Thompson.

“I like to keep the guys moving around all the time. If you are just standing around I’ll make sure to find something for you to do. As the defensive coordinator I like to keep an upbeat environment, keeping everyone involved. It is important to always be on your toes on defense because when we are up against a no-huddle offense or a spread offense, we have to always be ready for anything they throw at us,” said Adam Thompson.

His favorite part of coaching is to see the kids understand everything he is teaching them, Adam Thompson said. Seeing those lessons transition to games is something he described as “the sole reason any coach enjoys what they do.”

Before coming to PRC, Adam Thompson coached for 17 years, some of which at Hattiesburg High School.