By By Marty Stamper/EMG sports assistant
July 21, 2002
After 28 years in the public schools system, Steve Harber has joined the growing list of coaches who have switched leagues.
Harber has been named boys' basketball coach at Lamar School.
He replaces Tristan Howell, who led the Raiders to a 4-21 mark this past season.
Harber comes to Lamar after coaching at Forest the past seven years. The Bearcats were 22-8 last year with nine sophomores on their roster.
Prior to coaching at Forest, Harber led Union's boys' basketball program for 16 seasons, winning 350 games and losing 116. Of those 16 years, 13 resulted in 20 or more win seasons. All 16 were winning seasons.
Harber coached at Sturgis in 1977-78 before coming to Union. A 12-12 mark with the Lions was their first non-losing season in 12 years.
He also coached girls' basketball one year at Union, taking the 1992-93 team to the Class 2A state tournament with a 29-8 mark.
In 25 years as head coach, Harber's teams have won 497 games.
At Lamar, Harber inherits a team that struggled last year and is about to move up into league competition with the state's largest private schools Jackson Prep, Hillcrest Christian, Parklane Academy, Central Private School, Adams County Christian School, and Copiah Academy.
While he hasn't coached in the Mississippi Private School Association before, Harber is familiar with several of the coaches at Lamar and other schools from their days in the Mississippi High School Activities Association.
He also knows Wayne Academy coach Ronnie Crane when Crane coached at Buckatunna.
Lamar had a 20-13 record in the 1999-2000 season before dropping to 10-22 the following year and continuing the plummet last winter.