When the Jackets open Spring football practice on Monday, they will begin a new era under Head Coach John Carr's leadership with a few new faces on the sidelines and leading drills. Earlier this spring, Carr filled key positions on the staff with coaches bringing both energy and experience to the program.
Tyler Peterson will serve as Jacket Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach. Jamario Winters will serve as Defensive Coordinator, and Lavontis "Von" Smith will coach Wide Receivers. The new staff was approved at the March meeting of the SOCSD Board of Trustees, and coaches will be on hand for the start of Spring practices.
When Coach Carr met with the Yellow Jacket team for the first time after being hired in February, he told the players to expect a more "college environment," pulling from his experience at Troy, University of Louisiana at Monroe and Southern Miss.
"You're gonna see the way we practice," Coach Carr said, "the way we beat, the way we talk about things. You'll be more prepared than anybody else playing high school football in the state."
The new coaching leadership taps into that mindset for preparation. The new hires combined have worked in nine different high school programs across the state with track records for winning seasons, head coaching experience, playoff births and state championships.
Offensive Coordinator Tyler Peterson comes to the Jacket program from Clinton High School where he also ran the offense under Coach Carr for three years. Prior to that, he served as Head Coach at Brandon High School and Northwest Rankin.
Carr says Peterson checks the experience box with multiple head coaching stints, and brings an approach to offense they developed in Clinton that he believes will serve the Jackets.
“I'm very excited to add Tyler Peterson to our Starkville staff," he said. "He and I worked together at Clinton last year and we believe in the same style of offense and how we want it to look. He has also been a very successful head coach at multiple stops and his experience is invaluable.”
The high level of experience Peterson brings pairs well with the energy Carr says up-and-coming coaches, Winters and Smith, share.
"I'm an energy guy," he said. " Energy is one of the core values I try to instill in players to generate success, and these guys have it."
New Defensive Coordinator Jamario Winters has a reputation for intelligent football that attracted Carr's attention. He served as an Assistant Coach at Pearl and most recently lead Defense at Choctaw County where he helped them to a State Championship last season.
But, his record on the field isn't the only thing that Winters brings to the program. Carr says he has a presence around the program that is impressive.
"He is a young, energetic, and extremely bright football coach," Carr said. "I’ve heard Jamario's name in the coaching circles over the last couple of years. When I had the opportunity to visit with him, I came away deeply impressed with more than just football. He will not only be influential on the defensive side but will also add to our day to day operations.”
The influence and ability to impact players off the field was also evident when Carr met Lavontis "Von" Smith.
Smith, who will serve as Wide Receivers Coach is a Maben native and graduate of West Oktibbeha County High School, where he also played baseball. The Starkville job brings him back home after serving as head coach at Ethel High School for two seasons, earning a trip to the playoffs in both.
Carr believes this connection to the community presents an opportunity for Smith to build relationships with Jacket players, and the passion he brings for the game is contagious.
“Von is another young, energetic and passionate coach," he said. "You can feel it the moment he walks in the room. He has a personality that will connect with our players. Von was an outstanding player in high school, junior college, and at NC Central. Our players will connect to him instantly.”
As the team begins outdoor workouts and practices on Monday, the leadership is in place to position players to become "the best version of themselves," as Carr often says. And that means on and off the field with an emphasis on growing football skills, attitude and teamwork as well as the academic commitment and character building needed to succeed.
At a team meeting at the Jacket Field House back in February, Carr promised the team: "We're going to do everything we possibly can to put you in situations where we are competing for championships, to keep building on what's already here."
With this new slate of lead coaches that bring both experience and energy, Carr hopes to make good on that promise.