Many New Yorkers would be hesitant to accept a job in the Magnolia State, but Ted Egger saw it as an opportunity to dive into what he enjoys most, coaching football.

Earlier this year, Egger was named the football interim head coach for Pearl River Community College, a job he said he won’t take for granted.

“Coaching is something I’ve always wanted to do and I’m lucky to be able to do what I love,” Egger said.

Egger understands that traveling and not knowing where he will end up is part of the job, but so far, Egger has enjoyed where the journey has taken him. Egger is a well-traveled coach, spending seven years in Michigan at two different schools and the rest of his career in Pennsylvania and southern Colorado. However, once he was given the opportunity to set course for Mississippi, he seized the moment.

“I had the choice to go back to Michigan or Pennsylvania, but then I got a call to come coach for Pearl River Community College in Mississippi. I believe every coach wants to coach in the South and I knew it was a great opportunity for me,” he said. “With a new president and a new, young athletic director things are going in a certain direction at Pearl River and I’m excited to be part of it.”

To start, Egger said he is going to focus on the running game after recruiting power running backs Jesse Pernell from Poplarville and Dre Coleman from Lumberton. To add to the newly acquired talent, Egger is also excited about the new quarterback, Justin Agner, who was the starting quarterback for Kent State University as a true freshman last year.

“I was born and raised in New York in a big family where I learned early on how to share, but also be competitive. I still carry that with me to this day,” he said.

Egger told his team to focus on two things this season: the small details and how the team finishes. Also, he carries around an inspirational poem from Paul Bear Bryant’s retirement speech everywhere he goes and reads it to his players every week.

It reads, “Today is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it or use it for good. What I do today is very important. Leaving something in its place I have traded for it. I want it to be a gain, not loss; Good not evil; success not failure, in order that I shall not forget the price I paid for it.”

Egger said he is going to be running a run-pass option offensive system that Ole Miss uses, which he said “puts points on the board.” Also, he has given the defense a quota to meet per game, forcing four turnovers and scoring on at least one of those.

“If we end the season with a positive turn over ratio, that’s a great sign and we should have the wins to prove that. We are going to focus on getting the ball and not giving it back,” Egger said.

On August 24, a week before the season, PRCC will be hosting a scrimmage Egger said he will treat as a regular season game week and encourages the community to support the team as they head full steam into the 2017-18 season.

“Go Wildcats,” Egger said, ending his speech at the Rotary Club of Picayune Tuesday afternoon.