By Staff
CHANGING CAREERS n Choctaw Central head girls basketball coach has decided to step down after leading the Lady Warriors to three state crowns in order to devote his time to an educational program at CCHS. Photo by Paula Merritt/The Meridian Star
By Marty Stamper/The Meridian Star
July 24, 2001
One of the area's most successful girls' basketball coaches, Choctaw Central's Willis Tullos, will be putting away the whistle when the 2001-2002 school year begins in a few days.
Tullos, who led the Lady Warriors to three state championships and five trips to the state tournament in the last six years, will trade his job as girls' basketball coach for one of director of the Upward Bound program for grades 9-12 at CCHS.
If Tullos does for the academic world what he did for the basketball program, Choctaw Central will be turning out some highly intelligent students in the next few years.
Since returning to Choctaw Central from a stint at Cherokee, N.C., where he was girls' basketball coach and athletic director and even an assistant football coach for two years, Tullos' Lady Warriors posted an amazing 224-24 record over the last seven years.
Tullos knows good players make good coaches and he's been blessed in that category as well.
Tullos was selected to receive the National Federation of Coaches Award for girls' basketball for Mississippi in January.
He was also named The Meridian Star's Area Coach of the Year in 1996, 1997, and 1999, along with The Clarion-Ledger's Coach of the Year in 1996.
One of his most impressive stats is a string of 85 consecutive home wins from February 1995 to February 2001.
The Lady Warriors were 13-0 in games this summer, including a team camp at the University of Georgia.
Picking a few of the higher moments was difficult for Tullos to narrow down.
The Lady Warriors beat Nettleton 62-49 in the 1997 title game and West Tallahatchie 75-59 in the 1999 finals.
And, of course, Tullos remembers the fan support his team always had wherever it went.
Tullos also acknowledged the role his family has played.
Choctaw Central is expected to name Tullos' successor in the next few days.
Marty Stamper is a sports writer for The Meridian Star. Call him at 693-1551 ext. 3234 or e-mail him at mstamper@themeridianstar.com.