Of the 45 high school football teams in the Daily Journal coverage area, 11 are being led by first-year head coaches. Each job brings its own set of challenges and varying expectations.
Here’s a look at each new coach and what to expect.
Jeff Anglin, Ashland
Since splitting off from the co-op team it had with Hickory Flat, Ashland has struggled mightily. Over the past nine seasons, the Blue Devils have a record of 17-81-1. They’ve gone 0-11 each of the last two years. But Anglin has hope for this program, and for good reason.
He was on the Biggersville coaching staff when that once-moribund program morphed into a Class 1A powerhouse. He was head coach at Falkner for three years (2020-22), winning just five games but setting the table for the next three seasons, all of which were winning campaigns for the Eagles.
Anglin believes Ashland is a “sleeping giant” and has been recruiting the school’s hallways.
Tyler Rosenthal, Biggersville
The Lions thrived under their previous two coaches, Stan Platt and Case Ingram. Over the past nine seasons, they’ve gone 93-23 and won a state title in 2023. But this season could be a bit of a rebuild.
Gone are playmakers like Zialis Blackmon, Xae Mayes and Brooks Seago, and only six seniors dot this year’s roster. This is Rosenthal’s first head coaching job, but he’s very familiar with winning. He was Amory’s defensive coordinator the past five years, helping the Panthers to four winning campaigns and nine playoff wins.
Jesse Nelson, Falkner
The Eagles have been resurgent of late, posting three straight winning seasons. Nelson was interim head coach for part of the 2024 season, when Falkner went 8-3. He’s now in the position full-time after Ben Ashley’s retirement.
When Ashley left, so did the starting quarterback – his son, Nolan. Anthony Morgan, a dynamic running back and linebacker, graduated. That said, Nelson still has good pieces with which to work. Asa Childs moves from backup QB to starter, and running back Ethan Adams transferred in from Ripley. And the offensive line features five senior starters.
Chris Reno, Nettleton
The Tigers are still trying to recover from a mass exodus of players prior to the 2024 season, and Reno is the program’s third new head coach in as many years. With a 1-17 mark over the last two falls, Nettleton has a lot of work to do to become competitive again.
This is Reno’s first head coaching job after spending the past few years at Belmont. He coached there under veteran Michael D. Jackson, who in three years with the Cardinals has a record of 19-13. Reno is installing a power run game, and he has one of the area’s best two-way players in Tyler Gilbert.
Matt Lindsey, North Pontotoc
Lindsey brings a lot of pluses to North Pontotoc, including continuity. He was the defensive coordinator for 11 years before taking over for Andy Crotwell, who went 58-40 with seven playoff appearances in Ecru. And strong defense has often been a hallmark of the Vikings.
The defense this year will be led by brothers Trendon and Aden Harden, who the Daily Journal has rated as the No. 2 and No. 3 cornerbacks, respectively, in the area. Offensively, North Pontotoc has long leaned on the run game, and that should be the case again this fall with an offensive line that features Dezmond Nelson (6-foot-5, 275 pounds) and Logan Tharp (6-5, 285).
Case Ingram, Saltillo
Ingram joined Biggersville as an assistant coach in 2018, just as that program was taking off. He took over as head coach in 2021 and kept the momentum going, winning 50 games and that state title in 2023.
So he knows what it takes to build up a once-struggling program. And Saltillo has been struggling for a long time, with 11 straight losing seasons. To make things worse, the Tigers saw three of their best players transfer to Tupelo this offseason.
None of this has dissuaded Ingram, a young and energetic coach with a strong offensive mind. With quarterback Logan Heisel and receiver E-Jay Rogers, the offense has potential to be prolific.
Kevin Walton, Smithville
Walton is well-traveled as both a head coach and assistant coach. He had a strong five-year run at East Union (2015-19) and did well in his brief time at Falkner (2023-24). After serving as an assistant at Smithville last year, Walton is back in the big chair.
Smithville has always been at its best when it can run the ball, and that will be Walton’s emphasis. Whether he can lead the Seminoles to their first winning season in five years remains to be seen, but Walton has a history of succeeding early.
Jonathan Beard, South Pontotoc
The Cougars are seeking their first winning campaign since Michael Bradley’s final season as head coach in 2018. Beard was the team’s offensive coordinator last season, and he’ll be looking to improve a unit that averaged just 17.1 points per game.
Brett Morgan, Starkville
It’s not every day you can pluck the head coach from your chief rival, but that’s what Starkville did when it got Morgan from West Point. He was a longtime assistant there under Chris Chambless and took the reins in 2024. The Green Wave won the Class 5A state title that year and returned to the championship game last season.
Starkville struggled to a 6-5 mark last year, and the struggles were mainly on defense – the Yellow Jackets allowed 27 points per game. The offense should be fine, and getting stronger defensively could make Starkville a title contender.
Richard Russo, Vardaman
Russo is an experienced coach, with 14 years as the head man at five previous schools. Vardaman is a program that returned to form under Brennan Pugh but fell off a cliff last year, going 2-9. And the Rams lost their best player this offseason when Braylen Bedford transferred to Brentwood Academy in Tennessee.
Russo has a history of fielding competitive teams, but he’s got his work cut out for him. Some good news: Pugh has returned to the staff in a paraprofessional capacity.
Roger Burton, West Point
Like Morgan before him, Burton was a longtime assistant before being promoted to the top job. So he understands the West Point ethos as well as anyone.
The biggest challenge for Burton this year will be reloading a defense that lost all 11 starters. That seems a tall order, but West Point has a long history of successfully plugging holes in its lineup. Expect the Green Wave to again challenge for the title.