Greenwood native Terry Thompson and Pillow Academy's Durwin Carpenter will join the Delta State University Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Carpenter and Thompson will join Darry Wade during an enshrinement ceremony during the halftime of DSU's football game against West Alabama Saturday night at Travis E. Parker Field in Cleveland.
"Each year the committee searches for the top coaches out there that have gone on to represent DSU with great success on the field of play and off," said Bill Marchant, director of athletic alumni services. "This year's class is no exception. Each coach has excelled at unparalleled levels in their sports, and we are very proud to call them Statesmen."
Carpenter, a Holcomb native and a 1973 graduate of DSU, is blown away by the honor.
"I was truly shocked just being nominated, but when I found out I was going, I couldn't believe it. I am so honored and blessed to be in this position," said Carpenter, who is in his 12th season as the girls' head basketball coach at Pillow. "It's a great honor to have my name associated with such great names in coaching."
Carpenter has coached in the high school ranks in
Mississippi for mor than 30 years, making stops at Grenada Lake Academy and Central Holmes before building a perennial academy powerhouse at PA.
This past season Carpenter guided the Lady Mustangs to a 40-2 record and a third MPSA Overall championship. He has an incredible 354-58 mark at Pillow.
"There can be no more deserving person than Durwin for this honor," said Pillow headmaster Russell Robertson. "Being recognized by Delta State is the culmination of years of hard work and dedication to the lives and well being of young people.
"Durwin is one of the hardest working people I know. What people may not see is how much he does for our school off the basketball floor. All of our coaches have many other duties other than their respective sports, and Durwin gives every area of school life the very best effort he can. We are proud to have him as part of our school."
Thompson, a 1976 graduate of DSU, built a baseball dynasty at Mississippi Delta Community College and is one of the greatest coaches in the history of the Mississippi Junior and Community College Athletic Association.
Thompson, who retired following the 2004 season, holds the record for career victories by a junior college coach in Mississippi.
Thompson, who now works in Jackson as the pitching instructor at Performance Sports Academy, guided eight teams to state titles while garnering Coach of the Year accolades each time. His teams claimed four Regional titles and 10 North Division titles.
He was also a four-time Region 23 Coach of the Year and 10-time North Division Coach of the Year. Thompson, a 1971 graduate of Pillow Academy, has sent more than 100 players on to senior colleges or professional baseball. Four of his former players at MDCC have pitched in the major leagues: Kevin Rogers (San Francisco Giants), Mike DeJean (Colorado Rockies, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals and
Baltimore Orioles), Matt Duff (St. Louis Cardinals) and Matt Miller (Colorado Rockies and Cleveland Indians).
Thompson was drafted out of Pillow by the Chicago Cubs. After a brief pro career in the Cubs and Cleveland Indians organizations, Thompson enrolled at Delta State while serving as an assistant to then-Mississippi Delta head baseball coach Jimmy Bellipanni.
Wade has spent time coaching football, boys' and girls' basketball, track and baseball in the state high school ranks. Wade was inducted into the Mississippi Association of Coaches Hall of Fame in1981.
