By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

The coaching carousel concerning prep football top jobs in the “Southern Six” continues to turn, and may be even swirling in reverse a bit this week as well.
Five weeks or so ago, in this same space, we reported that our sources indicated to “SouthMiss6 Sports” that Biloxi defensive coordinator Eric Collier had edged out Greene County head coach Mikey King for the top post at George County High School and that King had surfaced as a top candidate at Hancock High. Our sources also indicated that Katlan French was in line to become the next leader at Bay High and that Derrick Jenkins was the top choice at Moss Point.
All of those four forecast changes came to fruition. And, all of those forecasts were formulated from information gathered by “SouthMiss6 Sports” from various sources close to each individual situation.

Now, according to those same sources, there may be more changes for some of those jobs on the way after recent happenings in Lucedale over the weekend. Again, maybe.
George County Superintendent Wade Whitney resigned from his post suddenly Saturday morning. His resignation was accepted by the George County School Board at a hastily called special session.
The same board around two weeks ago approved Collier’s new job as the Rebels’ head coach.
Collier had deep ties to the administration at GCHS, as both Whitney and principal Chip Menton worked with Collier previously in Alabama during his time at Theodore and Alma Bryant.
Collier had just completed his first year at Biloxi as defensive coordinator under head coach Jamey Dubose. And it now appears he will either remain in that capacity next season or may be looking to return to Alabama.

Jeff Mathis is now George County’s interim superintendent. According to sources close to the situation, it looks as if the tide is turning back in the favor of King returning to Lucedale. King is a GCHS graduate and a former Rebel standout on the football field.
King was also approved less than two weeks ago as the new head coach at Hancock. However, in most cases, contracts for jobs for next school year aren’t signed until late March or early April, so nothing binding has been tendered despite the respective school board approvals.

If these changes come to fruition, like the original four forecast a month ago in this space, then Hancock would join St. Martin and Long Beach as current openings for head football coaching posts in the “Southern Six.”
Former St. Martin head coach Ty Smith, who left that post two weeks ago, has accepted the head coaching position at Ben Lomond High School in Ogden, Utah.
Former Long Beach head coach Jeremy Massey has accepted the head coach post at Mooreville High.
Greene County, which competes with Moss Point, Bay High and Pass Christian in Region 8-4A, is also still looking for a new head football coach.