Under the leadership of outgoing Athletic Director Dr. Stan Miller, Starkville High School has quickly become one of the elite programs in the Mississippi High School Activities Association.
With the new hires of Milton Smith as athletic director and Ricky Woods as head football coach, the Yellow Jackets sent a bold statement. They plan to remain one of the best in Class 6A.
Starkville principal David Baggett was beaming at the introductory press conference for both men Tuesday. He knew the school had done well, bringing in two men with a pedigree of winning, as well as two men of character.
“Not only home run hires, but grand slam hires,” Baggett said. “These two represent all that is right with high school athletics. They represent the type of men we want our players to grow up to become.”
There is no beating around the bush at Starkville. The expectation is to win and win big. Three seasons ago, Starkville won the coveted all-sports award presented by the Clarion-Ledger for the best all-around sports program in the state. It was the only time since the award’s inception that someone other than Tupelo or Madison Central won the award.
Baggett talked about the importance of winning. He also talked about the importance of shaping the lives of young men and women. After the usual cliches of “winning the right way” and “playing with class and dignity,” the conversation quickly shifted back to winning.
Smith said his goal was for Starkville High to become “Championship U.” Woods said he expects to field a team that competes for the state championship on an annual basis.
Smith played at Starkville High and later began his coaching career there. Woods said his family connections were important in bringing him to the Golden Triangle. Both said that Starkville was a dream destination and that neither would have left their present job for anywhere else in the state.
Under Miller, the Starkville programs ascended to new heights.
The football team broke a decade-long drought by winning the 2012 state championship. This past season, Starkville was ranked No. 1 in the state for a majority of the season before finishing 13-1.
The girls basketball team advanced to the state tournament in Jackson for the first time since 1992. The boys basketball team returned to Jackson and won its second state championship team in five seasons.
The volleyball team played in the North State championship match. The girls track team finished second in the state.
Even the sports that weren’t state title contenders had success. The baseball and fast-pitch softball teams both qualified for the playoffs. The boys soccer team is a recent state champion, while the girls soccer team has also been a playoff regular.
What makes Starkville really special though it is starts from the top.
The superintendent and principal are both invested in winning athletic competitions. The sports teams are not simply extensions of the school. They don’t exist to keep the kids out of trouble. They don’t exist so the football program can generate extra revenue for the school district.
At Starkville, they exist to win.
Administrators and coaches have an open-door relationship. The minor sports are just as big as the major sports. If an athlete has a problem, it is addressed. If a coach has a problem, it is addressed. What takes some school districts years to achieve, Starkville usually does in months.
When Miller returned to the Golden Triangle more than a dozen years ago, the primary task was two-fold. Starkville needed better athletic facilities and they needed more and better coaches throughout the district. Both tasks were achieved
Mitchell put his stamp on the football program. In five seasons, the Yellow Jackets won 51 games and played for two state championships. The football stadium now has new turf, the player lift weights in a new weight room and dress in a new locker rooms. The track team has a new track around the football stadium.
Major renovations have taken place in the basketball gym, as well as Carlisle Field for the baseball team and Lady Jackets Field for the softball team.
Any proof one would need for the support of the Starkville High family came at Tuesday’s press conference when boys basketball coach Greg Carter, girls basketball coach Kristie Williams, softball coach Wendy Jolly and several other coaches were on hand to lend their support to their new boss. It is the kind of support you don’t find on a lot of other campuses.
Smith and Woods have now been charged with continuing this success.
Smith, who played at Mississippi State after finishing at Starkville, won a state championship at Laurel, where he was most recently that school’s athletic director. The Golden Tornadoes have been a driving force in football and basketball with Smith as AD, including winning last season’s Class 5A state championship in football.
Woods built the state’s modern-day power South Panola, where he won four state championships as coach. Prior to that, Woods built two state championships at Ackerman.
The hiring of Smith was easy. A native son wanted to come home.
The hiring of Woods was easy, too. Baggett said he fielded phone call after phone call from former South Panola players who talked about what it was like to play for Woods. The mounting evidence of support for Woods could not be overlooked. Of course, needing two hands to wear all your state championship rings didn’t hurt either.
Starkville is a model for athletc consistency and looks to continue that trend. Not using a cliche this time, the Yellow Jackets do indeed “do it the right way.” Other schools should take note.
Scott Walters is a sports writer with The Dispatch. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @dispatchscott
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
