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Dr. Jerrial Dawson, SHS Assistant Boys Basketball Coach and 9th Grade Principal has been selected to participate in the 2024-2025 class of the Mississippi Excellence in Coaching Fellowship. Known as "Tomorrow's 25", the Fellowship is an innovative professional development opportunity for coaches presented by the Mississippi Association of Coaches (MAC), the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) and the University of Mississippi School of Education (UMSOE).
Dr. Dawson's selection for the honor was finalized in early August, and the group of twenty-five coaching professionals from around the state will gather for fifteen meetings both virtually and in person over the next year.
"We will all be growing together," said Dr. Dawson. "I'm a continuous learner, and being able to learn from other coaches is so valuable, as well as being able to share your wisdom. It's called 'Tomorrow's 25,' so it's a young group. I'm blessed to be one of the more seasoned members, and I'm looking forward to reaching out to answer questions and ask them too. It's a fellowship, so the relationship aspect is so important."
The mission of the Mississippi Excellence in Coaching Fellowship is to invest each year in 25 emerging leaders from across the state in the area of high school and middle school athletics. The program specifically targets candidates who have demonstrated the capacity to be leaders in the field. The Fellowship focuses on providing professional development and resources to promote coaching the "whole athlete," with an emphasis on leadership, resilience, empathy and responsibility.
"I am very proud of Dr. Dawson for being selected as part of this prestigious Coaching Fellowship," said SOSCD Superintendent, Dr. Tony McGee. "His career as a coach and in school administration has positioned him as a leader across the state on both the court and in the regular school environment. He has been a huge asset to our district since joining our team and will be a worthy role model for other coaches."
Dr. Dawson joined the Starkville High School administrative team and the Jacket Athletics staff in July. In addition to serving as Assistant Coach for Boys Basketball alongside Head Coach Anthony Carlyle, Dr. Dawson also serves as the SHS Assistant Principal for 9th grade, a role that is tasked with shepherding a freshman class of more than 370 students.
Before joining the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District, Dr. Dawson served as an administrator at Provine High School in Jackson, Mississippi where he also grew up. Prior to his stint at Provine, Dawson was Head Boys Basketball Coach at Morton High School.
"I've been out of coaching for two years," said Dawson, when talking about his commitment to both coaching and administration. "I stepped away at a prominent time as the Head Coach at Morton, and the last game I coached was the Mississippi All-Star Game. But, it was the right decision at the time because I was working on my doctorate and really wanted to commit to serving in school administration."
Coaching wasn't out of his system, however. Dr. Dawson shared that getting back into a coaching role also happened at the right time.
"A lot of opportunities had come across my desk, but at the time I wan't eager to drop administration to go back to coaching," Dawson said. "But when I got the call from Dr. McGee to come, it drew my interest to come to Starkville to coach alongside Anthony Carlyle. I thought that was a Godsend. So we all talked about it and that's how things fell into place."
Dr. Dawson brings more than six years of head coaching experience to Starkville as well as administrative experience, and he looks forward to supporting Coach Anthony Carlyle, whom he's known for a number of years. Carlyle and Dawson have served in similar size schools and roles at the same time over the years, and Dawson shared that they were able to develop a mutual relationship of sharing advice and encouragement.
"I love being able to assist," he said. "The best leaders are great followers. You want to be able to lean on somebody and get advice. So I serve as a blessing for him, but he's also a blessing for me. We have always talked throughout my coaching career. Even when I became an administrator and let coaching go, he was an administrator too. We've just always talked and were able to grow each other. So I come into a situation where it's a blessing because he is not just growing me. He has somebody who can help grow the things that he wants to accomplish."
Coach Carlyle shares a similar sentiment, remembering a time in their careers when they attended the same church, and even the pastor noticed how well they worked together.
"He (the pastor) used to tell me how great it was when we were working together on something," Carlyle said. "We've known each other a long time and have always talked. When the opportunity to work on a coaching staff together presented itself, it was a no-brainer."
"He has been great in my transition," Carlyle continued. "Dawson has a lot of knowledge and previous experience which allows us to bounce ideas off each other. It's always great to have someone who can provide another point of view. We've clicked since day one and I'm glad to have him with me on this journey."
When he thinks about balancing coaching and administration, and what that experience will bring to young coaching leaders across the state, Dr. Dawson has a unique perspective.
"The need for educator coaches goes a long way," he said. "I think back over ten years when I got into the profession, it was all about sports for me. But, that changes very quickly when you see what you're able to do not just on the court or on the field, but in other students' lives. A lot of young coaches want to learn how to become a better coach. I'm here to tell you, the better you build yourself as an educator, you'll become a better coach."
In sharing what he's learned, Dawson sees a way to impact coaching programs across the state as well as the schools they represent –– and ultimately the students. He's committed to the extensive impact coaching can have when professionals view it through the lens of an opportunity to educate and impact school culture.
"As a coach, you can change the atmosphere and build the culture of a school," he says. "And if you're not building a culture in your school, your program is only limited. You can have the best culture in your program, but if that does not transition to culture in your school and make the culture of your school better, you're limited in the success of your program."
Superintendent Tony McGee agrees.
"That's one of the things that drew us to him and how he can contribute to the excellence we're trying to grow for the Jacket Family," said Dr. McGee. "Jerrial's commitment to impacting students beyond the court is unmatched and it shows in how he operates every day. Even for students who are not athletes, his goal-centered approach is providing lifelong lessons."
Whether on the court or working out of his office on the 9th grade hall, Dr. Dawson is about amplifying the culture he's found in Starkville –– a culture where everyone expects excellence of themselves and each other.
"That's one thing I've been excited about in being here in Starkville," Dawson shares. "The school community, the championship standard, the expectation of excellence –– every program is looking to win and grow. But, it doesn't stop there. We're all one. My experiences with the Jacket coaches have been like none other. Here, it's about growing the school, and excellence is the expectation. I love it."
