Courtesy of The Greenwood Commonwealth
Despite Roger Gordon's long absence from coaching, Steve Flemming believes he has the right man for the job.
Gordon, 52, was introduced as the new head football coach at Carroll Academy on Friday. Gordon replaces John David Higginbotham.
Flemming, the school's athletic director and soon-to-be headmaster, announced in early March that Higginbotham's contract for a third season would not be renewed. Higginbotham was 3-19 in two seasons at Carrollton.
"I feel like Roger brings good knowledge of the game and will be a big plus for our program," Flemming said.
Gordon last coached football in 1990 as an assistant varsity coach and the junior high head coach at Carroll. He worked in that capacity for seven years. He has been in private business since.
"I had some people at Carroll contact me about this job, and after a lot of thought and prayer, I decided to make the leap," Gordon said. "It's going to be a challenge, but I know I can handle it. I love this school and the people up here."
He is the young brother of former Carroll head coach Robert Gordon, who ran a successful program from 1982-1989. The CA field was named in his honor last season.
"Roger has a good name that people here will recognize and has a a good background in football," Flemming said. "I don't believe his layoff from coaching will be a factor."
Gordon, a running back at Ole Miss in the late 1970s, is the fifth head coach at CA in the last seven years. He takes over a program that has had seven straight losing seasons and hit rock bottom with back-to-back winless seasons in 2007 and 2008.
The Rebels ended a 28-game losing streak last season and haven't been to the playoffs since Tommy Nester's final season there in 1998, when Carroll played in the state AAA championship game.
Gordon said his first objective is to change the overall attitude of the athletes.
"Losing is a habit, and you have to learn to win. We've got to instill that winning spirit so that we believe we can win every time we hit the field," Gordon said.
Carroll has also hired Joe Taylor of Greenwood to serve as an assistant football and boys basketball coach.
Taylor, who has been an assistant coach at Humphreys Academy in Belzoni, will be the head coach in junior high boys basketball and will be groomed by Flemming to take over the varsity program in a couple of years.
Flemming, the school's athletic director and soon-to-be headmaster, announced in early March that Higginbotham's contract for a third season would not be renewed. Higginbotham was 3-19 in two seasons at Carrollton.
"I feel like Roger brings good knowledge of the game and will be a big plus for our program," Flemming said.
Gordon last coached football in 1990 as an assistant varsity coach and the junior high head coach at Carroll. He worked in that capacity for seven years. He has been in private business since.
"I had some people at Carroll contact me about this job, and after a lot of thought and prayer, I decided to make the leap," Gordon said. "It's going to be a challenge, but I know I can handle it. I love this school and the people up here."
He is the young brother of former Carroll head coach Robert Gordon, who ran a successful program from 1982-1989. The CA field was named in his honor last season.
"Roger has a good name that people here will recognize and has a a good background in football," Flemming said. "I don't believe his layoff from coaching will be a factor."
Gordon, a running back at Ole Miss in the late 1970s, is the fifth head coach at CA in the last seven years. He takes over a program that has had seven straight losing seasons and hit rock bottom with back-to-back winless seasons in 2007 and 2008.
The Rebels ended a 28-game losing streak last season and haven't been to the playoffs since Tommy Nester's final season there in 1998, when Carroll played in the state AAA championship game.
Gordon said his first objective is to change the overall attitude of the athletes.
"Losing is a habit, and you have to learn to win. We've got to instill that winning spirit so that we believe we can win every time we hit the field," Gordon said.
Carroll has also hired Joe Taylor of Greenwood to serve as an assistant football and boys basketball coach.
Taylor, who has been an assistant coach at Humphreys Academy in Belzoni, will be the head coach in junior high boys basketball and will be groomed by Flemming to take over the varsity program in a couple of years.
