Football wins have been hard to come by the last few years at Pillow Academy, and team participation has reflected that.
The Mustangs have battled low numbers the last three seasons while posting a 7-24 mark.
One of the first things new head coach Tripp McCarty will do is meet with all potential players.
“The first thing you’ve got to do is tell the truth. You can’t tell the kids one thing, and then do it another way,” said McCarty, who was named to the post on Wednesday. “I think I have a neat brand of football. We play a wide-open offense, and practice is full speed with a fast-tempo.
“Everybody loves Friday nights, but it’s what you do Monday through Thursday that leads to success. We want what we do Monday through Thursday to be better than anyone else.”
The new coach spent most of Wednesday meeting students, faculty and coaches at Pillow.
McCarty, 37, served the last three years as the head coach at Brookhaven Academy, where he compiled a 25-14 record, including a Class AA state championship and two district titles.
He takes over a program that has won just seven games over the last three seasons after claiming a State AAA Division II championship in 2010.
The new Mustang head man believes he can lead a turnaround. PA loses just four seniors and will gain about 15 sophomores off a 7-1 junior high team.
“I can’t promise you a timetable to a state championship — although that will be our goal every season — but I can promise I will work my tail off for this team and this school,” he said. “I believe this is one of the best jobs in the state because Pillow is such a great school and this is a great community.”
McCarty hopes to be free of his commitment to Brookhaven in a few weeks and be on staff at PA full time by mid-March.
Pillow has also hired a new assistant football coach in Mike Beagle, who will also serve as strength and conditioning coach for all athletic teams.
Beagle will join a football staff that already includes Jeff Jones, Jay Jones and Nick Serio.
McCarty will handle the offensive play-calling and expects Beagle to work with the offensive lineman.
“We’ve got some good defensive coaches already in place, and I am excited about that,” McCarty said. “Of course, I will still put my stamp on that side of the ball, too.”
McCarty brings 16 years of coaching experience with him. Prior to becoming the head coach at Brookhaven, he served as the offensive coordinator at Madison-Ridgeland Academy under Mack Norwood from 2007-2010.
He started his coaching career at his alma mater, Canton Academy, where he first worked with wide receivers and defensive backs. He later served as offensive coordinator at Canton from 2001-2003. He then returned to Mississippi College, where he played receiver in the mid-1990s, in 2004 to coach defensive backs.
Then McCarty made his third stop at Canton before serving as defensive coordinator at Presbyterian Christian School in Hattiesburg.
Beagle has 32 years coaching experience, including head coaching stints at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, North Dakota State College of Science, Highland Community College in Kansas and Chowan University in Murfressboro, Tenn. He was the offensive coordinator at Northwest Mississippi CC this past season.
He has served as both offensive and defensive coordinators during his 15 previous stops in the college and junior college ranks. At one point or another, Beagle has coached every position on the field but cornerback.
