CRAWFORD — If he”s lucky, East Oktibbeha County High School girls basketball coach Randy Brooks will spend his winter cleaning up around the house and hunting rabbits.
Brooks opted to give up coaching girls basketball after the 2010-11 season to focus on his other sports at the school — football and boys and girls track — and to give him a chance to get out in the brush and fields to enjoy one of his hobbies.
Before he left the bench, The Dispatch Small Schools Girls Basketball Coach of the Year helped the Lady Titans reach the second round of the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 1A South State tournament with a young team and set the table for another postseason run in 2011-12.
Brooks doesn”t want to put any unnecessary pressure on the Lady Titans, but he expects great things from them. After all, this sophomore-heavy group went undefeated in district play and defeated Mt. Olive before losing to eventual South State runner-up Bogue Chitto.
“For being as young as they were, only having two seniors, most of the team was sophomores, was positive,” Brooks said. “I thought we exceeded our expectations.”
Basketball expectations remain high at the school. In 2007, the boys and girls programs won Class 1A state championships. Before and after that accomplishment, the Lady Titans enjoyed the fruits of Brooks” coaching. Balancing it with his other sports responsibilities, though, was the challenge.
Earlier this month, Brooks recalled last October when he moved from the football field to the gymnasium in the same day, coaching both groups. His challenges didn”t end after football season.
“This year was non-stop coaching,” he said. “Right after football season we were dealing with basketball season.
After basketball season?
“The following Monday,” he said, “I had to start track practice.”
Luckily, many of his former girls basketball players also run track, so they won”t be too far away from his coaching.
Brooks, 50, has coached since 1984. He moved to Mississippi not long after playing college football at Concordia University. It was a natural progression into coaching because he always has been able to teach others how to play the games.
Now, though, it”s time to slow down a bit. He will focus on the football team, where Brooks said as many as five Division I prospects have attracted the attention of college scouts.
Meanwhile, he”ll let somebody else take over mentoring on the court.
“It can be a grind,” he said. “With basketball practice and basketball tournaments and basketball season, I didn”t get a chance to do a whole lot of hunting. This year, I will be doing a whole lot of hunting.”
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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