By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

Just as one search for a new head basketball coach at a traditional boys power program in the “Southern Six” ends, another begins this week.
SouthMiss6 Sports confirmed over the weekend the news we exclusively broke Friday night, as officials at Gulfport High offered their head coaching position to current Columbia High head coach Brian Butler late Friday afternoon and he accepted.
The move should be made official at the next meeting of the Gulfport School Board on April 8th.
“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to become the head coach at Gulfport High School pending the school board’s approval in April,” Butler said, from his home in Hattiesburg Sunday night.

Butler has been a head coach at several stops in South Mississippi for the past 12 years. He is a Mississippi Gulf Coast native, who played for current University of Southern Mississippi head coach Jay Ladner at St. Stanislaus in the early 2000’s.

“Brian is a class individual,” Ladner said, also from his own home in Hattiesburg Sunday night. “He projects a great image. He’s a great role model for those young men and he’s an outstanding coach. I was very fortunate to have been his coach at St. Stanislaus. Brian also served as one of my assistants during my one year at Oak Grove High. He is one of the outstanding young coaches in our state.”
As Gulfport’s search seemingly concluded late last week, Pass Christian’s moved to the interview process beginning Monday.

Pirates Athletics Director Ricky Smith confirmed that Sunday afternoon.
“We have a good pool of candidates, so I’m excited about it.” Smith said.
Smith is looking for a replacement for one of the most successful head basketball coaches in South Mississippi over the last three decades in Buddy Kennedy.
Ladner also has a strong affinity for the veteran former Pirate mentor, who won at least 20 games in a season 20 times in two different stints at the Pass that spanned 29 years. Kennedy registered over 600 career wins before retiring last month.
“I have so much admiration and respect for Buddy Kennedy,” Ladner said. “He built Pass Christian Basketball into a state power. During my 20-year tenure at St Stanislaus, we had so many epic battles. The rivalry was very very intense not only because of the success of both programs but because of the proximity of the two schools. Basketball in Mississippi lost an incredible Coach and an even better man when he stepped down.”
Pass Christian is expected to have a new head coach by the end of next week.