(CLINTON, MS) The 49^th Annual Mississippi Association of Coaches Hall of Fame Induction & Awards Banquet sponsored by BankPlus will be held on Friday, June 17, 2022, at 6:00 PM at the Sheraton Flowood Refuge Hotel & Conference Center off Airport Road in Flowood, MS. Upon the induction of the Class of 2022, the MAC Hall of Fame membership will increase to 258 total (244 lifetime and 14 honorary members). The MAC Coaches Hall of Fame was created in 1973.

The MAC Hall of Fame Class of 2022 includes:

WILLIE COLLINS, superb coach who guided football, track, volleyball, and powerlifting teams at Provine, Forest Hill, & Brandon; 36-year coaching career and led his football teams to record of 167 wins & 98 losses with 6 seasons that featured double digit wins; guided the Rams to state championship games and Class 5A runner-up finishes in 1994 & 1999 with 7 district titles; first African American coach to play for Class 5A state championship; one of winningest coaches in history of Jackson Public Schools; head coach in the 1999 Bernard Blackwell All-Star football game and coached in two other all-star games; named to the Jackson State All-Century Football Team in 2011.

DODD LEE, championship football coach who led programs at Bay High, East Central, and Picayune; distinguished 39-year MAC member who led Picayune to 11 district crowns, five appearances in the South State finals, 2 South State runner-up finishes, 3 South State Championships, and two Class 5A state titles in 2011 & 2013; coached in 369 games with 267 wins and 102 losses and 13 of his teams compiled 10 or more wins; 10-time Division Coach of the Year; MAC Football Coach of the Year in 2012; two-time MAC 5A Coach of the year and three-time Sun Herald Gulf Coast Coach of the Year in 2006, 2011, & 2013; assistant coach in 1994 and head coach in 2010 in the Bernard Blackwell All-Star Classic; assistant coach in 2004 Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Classic; 24 of his former players have entered the coaching ranks.

JIMMY MITCHELL, Deceased, outstanding football coach and teacher at Winona, Okeechobee, FL, Kosciusko, Tupelo, Pontotoc, Itawamba AHS, and Corinth; 40-year coaching career included a record of 164 wins and 77 losses; coached in four state championship games—2 as assistant at Tupelo, one at Pontotoc, and one at Corinth; 7-time district coach of the year and the 2001 Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal Coach of the year; assistant coach in 1994 and head coach in 2002 in the Bernard Blackwell All-Star Classic; assistant coach in the 2001 Mississippi/Alabama All-Star football classic; coached football, baseball, , golf, wrestling, and powerlifting and taught advanced biology & ecology; retired in 2012 and passed away in 2018.

SHANE MONTGOMERY, 30-year MAC member who coached basketball and softball at Tremont, North Pontotoc and Ripley; his girls basketball teams compiled a record of 616 wins and 319 losses while his fast pitch softball teams won 256 games against 122 losses and his slow pitch squads finished with 278 wins and 203 losses; girls basketball division coach of the year 10 times, division slow pitch coach of the year 4 times, and division fast pitch coach of the year 7 times; has the unique distinction of being named coach of the year by the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal in three different sports—basketball, slow pitch & fast pitch softball; named the MAC Fast Pitch Coach of the year in 2011; coached in two MAC All-Star Girls basketball games and two times each in the MAC Slow and Fast Pitch All-Star games; served on the MAC Board of Directors, the Executive Board, and as President in 2013-14.

DEAN SHAW, 23-year accomplished championship basketball coach at Harrison Central and Picayune; led his basketball teams to 552 wins with 169 losses out of 721 games coached; paced his hoops squads to 4 district titles, 7 division crowns, 4 South State titles, and the 1996 Class 5A State Championship; his teams claimed 64 tournament championships and 48 of his players received college scholarships; coached 5 teams to 30-win seasons, 14 teams to 20-win seasons; received 2 coach of the year awards by the Gulf Coast Conference, 2 district, 4 division, 2 statewide coach of the week awards by the Jackson Clarion Ledger, and 3 Gulf Coast Coach of the Year honors by the Sun Herald; coached in the 1995 Mississippi High School All-Star game; coached future NBA star Jonathan Bender at Picayune and Sun Herald players of the year Tiffany Travis and Jerry Scott Smith.

 

CLASS OF 2022 BIOGRAPHIES

WILLIE COLLINS–Coach Willie Collins is a superb coach who guided football, track, volleyball, and powerlifting teams at Provine, Forest Hill, and Brandon. Coach Collins was an All-SWAC guard for the Jackson State football team in 1975 and achieved his college degree in 1978. He began his 36-year coaching career in 1978 at Brandon High where he was an assistant football coach and assistant track coach who helped create the school’s physical education program. He spent one year at Forest Hill High where he was assistant football coach, head volleyball coach, and strength coach before arriving at Provine High in 1982. Eventually becoming head football coach, he formed a football powerhouse at Provine from 1992 to 2014. He was the first African American coach to play for the Class 5A State Championship. He guided the Rams to state championship games and Class 5A runner-up finishes in 1994 and 1999. His teams claimed 7 district titles during his tenure and, overall, his football squads compiled a record of 167 wins and 98 losses with 6 seasons that featured double digit wins. He was named coach of the week five times by the Jackson Clarion Ledger who also selected him as Metro Coach of the Year in 1994. He had over 10 players drafted or signed as free agents in the NFL. He is one of the winningest coaches in Jackson Public School history. He served as head coach in the 1999 Bernard Blackwell All-Star Football Classic and he coached in two other all-star games. In addition to football, he coached boys & girls track for 10 years, volleyball for 4 years, and powerlifting for 5 years. Willie was named to the Jackson State All-Century football team in 2011. Willie was known for coaching football games with a trademark white towel, a superstition carried over from his days at Forest Hill and Jackson State.

DODD LEE—Coach Dodd Lee completed a legendary championship career as head football coach and athletic director who led football programs at Bay High, East Central, and Picayune. Born in Hattiesburg, Coach Lee graduated from Picayune High and earned degrees from Pearl River CC and Southern Miss. He started a remarkable 39-year coaching career in 1981 when he returned to his alma mater at Picayune to work as an assistant football coach. In 1988, he moved to Bay St. Louis as an assistant and then as head coach of Bay High. He arrived in Hurley in 1990 to take over as head coach at East Central and led his teams to four playoff appearances in six seasons. He returned to Picayune in 1996 where he would lead the Maroon Tide football program for the next 24 years. He guided his Picayune football squads to 11 district crowns, five appearances in the South State finals, 2 South State runner-up finishes, 3 South State championships, and two Class 5A state championships in 2011 and 2013. During his career, he coached in 369 games with 267 wins and 102 losses for an amazing 72% winning mark. Thirteen of his football teams compiled 10 or more wins during his tenure. He was selected as Division Coach of the Year 10 times and as the MAC Football Coach of the Year in 2012. Coach Lee was a two-time MAC 5A Coach of the Year in 2011 and 2013 and he was a three-time Sun Herald Coach of the Year in 2006, 2011, and 2013. He was named the Gulf Coast Chapter of the National Football Foundation Coach of the Year three times in 1994, 2007, and 2011. He served as an assistant coach in 1994 and as head coach in 2010 in the Bernard Blackwell All-Star Football Classic. Coach Lee was an assistant coach in the 2004 Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Football Classic. An amazing 24 of his former players have entered the coaching ranks. He served his profession as a clinic speaker for the MAC, the Gulf Coast Coaches’ Clinic and at Pearl River CC. In addition to his head coaching duties, Dodd served as athletic director at Picayune for 15 years from 1996 to 2010. In 2021, he was a volunteer assistant coach at Pearl River CC.

JIMMY MITCHELL, Deceased, Posthumous Induction—The late Jimmy Mitchell was an outstanding football coach and teacher at Winona, Okeechobee, FL, Kosciusko, Tupelo, Pontotoc, Itawamba AHS, and Corinth. Born in Tupelo, Coach Mitchell was a Delta Valley All-Conference fullback at Winona High who played in the 1968 Bernard Blackwell All-Star Football classic. He played football at Delta State where he earned his college degree in 1972. Coach Mitchell launched a 40-year coaching career in 1972 at Winona Junior High. He was superb at teaching football and science including classes in advanced biology & ecology, life science, and physical science. He served as assistant coach in football and baseball at Winona from 1972 to 1975, He moved to Florida where he was assistant football coach and head wrestling coach with a match record of 26-8 at Okeechobee High from 1975 to 1978. Jimmy returned to Mississippi and was assistant football coach and head baseball coach at Kosciusko High from 1978 to 1981. His Whippets baseball squad claimed a conference title in 1979 and he was a part of two conference championship football teams in 1978 and 1979. Coach Mitchell then coached at Tupelo High for 11 years where he was an assistant football coach who also coached golf, wrestling, and powerlifting. He helped the Golden Wave gridiron program team claim 7 district titles, 2 North half crowns, and 2 state runner-up finishes. Jimmy was head football coach at Pontotoc High from 1992 to 1996 and he led his teams to 1 district title, 1 North half championship, and one state runner-up finish with a record of 36 wins and 13 losses. He worked two seasons as head coach at Itawamba AHS from 1996 to 1998 where his squads went 10-10. Arriving at Corinth High in 1998, he promptly led the football program to 6 district titles, 2 region crowns, 1 North half runner-up finish, 1 North half championship, and a state runner-up finish with a record of 118-54 through 2012. Overall, Coach Mitchell’s football teams had 164 wins and 77 losses in 238 games. Jimmy coached in four state championship games: 2 as an assistant at Tupelo, one at Pontotoc, and one at Corinth. He was named district coach of the year 7 times and the 2001 Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal Coach of the Year in 2001. He was also named the Mid Mississippi Conference baseball coach of the year in 1978. Coach Mitchell was an assistant coach in the Bernard Blackwell All-Star Football Classic in 1994 and served as head coach in the 2002 all-star game. Jimmy was an assistant coach in the 2001 Mississippi/Alabama All-Star Football Classic. Coach Mitchell retired in 2012 and passed away in 2018.

SHANE MONTGOMERY—An outstanding championship coach in the sports of basketball and softball, Coach Shane Montgomery has had a remarkable 30-year coaching career at Tremont, North Pontotoc, and Ripley. Shane was born in Pontotoc County and was a basketball All-Star at North Pontotoc in Ecru. He received his higher education degrees from Itawamba CC and Ole Miss before entering the coaching ranks. Coach Montgomery began his three-decade coaching career in 1983 at Tremont where he was head coach for girls and boys basketball. He led the Tremont girls’ basketball teams to 1 North half title, 5 state tournament appearances, and 2 state runner-up finishes. He coached basketball and softball at his alma mater at North Pontotoc on two occasions from 1990 to 1997 and from 2005 to 2013. He led the North Pontotoc girls’ basketball teams to 4 North half appearances and 1 state tournament appearance while his fast pitch softball squads claimed 2 North half titles, 1 state runner-up finish, and the 2010 state championship. He guided the North Pontotoc slow pitch softball teams to 1 North Half title and 1 state runner-up finish. He coached basketball and softball at Ripley High from 1997 to 2005 where his basketball teams won 2 North Half crowns, 1 state runner-up finish, and the 2003 state championship. Shane’s Ripley fast pitch teams had 5 North half appearances. Overall, Coach Montgomery’s girls’ basketball teams compiled a record of 616 wins and 319 losses while his fast pitch teams won 256 games against 122 losses and his slow pitch squads finished with 278 wins and 203 losses. Shane was named division girls basketball coach of the year 10 times, the division slow pitch coach of the year 4 times, and the division fast pitch coach of the year 7 times. Coach Montgomery has the unique distinction of being named coach of the year by the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal in three different sports—once in basketball, once in slow pitch, and once in fast pitch. He was named the MAC Fast Pitch Coach of the Year in 2011, the Northeast Mississippi Fast Pitch Coach of the Year in 2010, and the 2013 Northeast Mississippi Girls Basketball Coach of the Year. Coach Montgomery coached in two MAC All-Star Girls basketball games, and two times each in the MAC Slow and Fast Pitch All-Star contests. Shane is a loyal and longtime member of the MAC having served on the Board of Directors, the Executive Board, and as President from 2013-14.

DEAN SHAW—Coach Dean Shaw is an accomplished championship basketball coach that guided programs at Harrison Central and Picayune. A four-year letterman and three-year basketball starter at Hancock North Central from 1975 to 1979, Dean received a basketball scholarship at Mississippi College where he earned his degree in 1983. He began his 23-year coaching career at Picayune as an assistant under William “Butch” Van Breda Kolff, former coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans Jazz, and Hofstra University. He was named head coach after in 1984 and remained with the Maroon Tide for 11 years before coaching at Harrison Central for one season in 1995-96. Coach Shaw concluded his coaching career at Picayune from 1996 to 2006 before entering school administration. Dean led his basketball teams to 552 wins with 169 losses out of 721 games coached. He paced his hoops squads to 4 district titles, 7 division crowns, 4 South State titles, and the 1996 Class 5A State Championship at Harrison Central. Coach Shaw’s teams claimed 64 tournament championships and 48 of his players received college scholarships. He coached five teams that had 30-win seasons and 14 squads to 20-win seasons. He guided teams to two no. 1 state rankings, eight top five finishes, six top 10 standings, and two top 20 year-end rankings. Dean was named Coach of the Year 2 times by the Gulf Coast Conference, 2 times by the District, 4 times by the Division, 2 statewide Coach of the Week honors by the Jackson Clarion Ledger, and 3 times as Gulf Coast Coach of the Year by the Sun Herald. Coach Shaw served as a coach in the 1995 Mississippi High School All-Star game. Dean coached future NBA player Jonathan Bender at Picayune and also coached Sun Herald players of the year Tiffany Travis and Jerry Scott Smith. Dean is a longtime MAC member who served on the basketball executive committee. He is a remarkable civic leader who served as assistant principal, vocational director, and superintendent of the Picayune School District. Coach Shaw received a “Heart of a Lion” Award from the Picayune Lions Club and the “I Have A Dream” Award for his service on the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Celebration Day Committee.

 

For more information, contact the MAC offices at (601) 924-3020 or www.mscoaches.com.