The National High School Athletic Coaches Associations (NHSACA) selected Greg Carter, head basketball coach, as a National Finalist for Coach of the Year. Carter is among seven other finalists for the state of Mississippi.  

Nyjal Johnson is a junior shooting guard for the Jackets. “Coach was nominated because he is simply the best coach in the state. He teaches you to believe in yourself no what the circumstance,” Johnson said. 

Carter, a first-time nominee, has been coaching at Starkville High School since the fall of 2004. Last season he led the team to a 30-1 season, going on to win the state championship. 

“His coaching qualities are that he is honest to everyone and he tells you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear. This just justifies why we have always said that we have the best coach in the state,” Johnson said. 

NHSACA is a 54-year old association with nearly 335,000 members throughout the Unites States. Every year over 500 coaches and athletic directors are nominated for the award.  

Cheyenne Trussell is the SOCSD Athletic Director. “The award highlights the quality instruction that goes on daily in the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District classrooms and on the field of play,” Trussell said.  

NHSACA awards coaches that fulfill many duties, not only on the court but also in the classrooms daily. This award encompasses 18 different sports from swimming to even special sports such as skiing.  

“Athletics is an extension of the classroom in which coaches such as Greg Carter help student athletes to reach their fullest potential while making their dreams become a reality,” Trussell said. 

The National Coach of the Year Award will be announced at this year’s national convention, to be held in Lincoln, Nebraska, July 20-23.  

In addition to this esteemed honor bestowed upon Carter, his son, Tyson, alumnus of Starkville High School Class of 2016, broke his dad’s previous record at MSU of 1000+ points, a first–time father-son duo achievement in the South Eastern Conference. 

“I knew one day he would surpass me, and I knew that when he signed for Mississippi State. I thought it would happen last year,” Carter said.