By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

Bay High has added two new head basketball coaches since this past season ended.

Aaron Dunklin takes over the Tiger program and Maurice Singleton now leads the Lady Tigers.

Dunklin served as an assistant at Pass Christian High last season under first-year head coach Robin Sikes.

Both moves were made official on the school’s social media recently.

“It’s Official! Please join us in welcoming Coach Aaron Dunklin as the new Head Coach of the Bay High School Boys Basketball program!

Coach Dunklin brings a deep knowledge of the game, an unmatched passion, and a relentless drive to push players to be their very best — on and off the court. We’re excited about the direction of the program and can’t wait to see the energy and leadership he brings to our Tiger family.

Tiger Nation, let’s give Coach Dunklin a warm welcome and get ready to get to work!”

Singleton has been the junior high head coach at Bay the past two seasons, and before that also served as an assistant with the neighboring rival Pirates.

“Exciting News, Tiger Fans!

Bay High is proud to announce Maurice Singleton as the new Head Coach of the Lady Tigers Basketball Team! Coach Singleton brings a passion for the game, a commitment to excellence, and a vision for success. We can’t wait to see him lead our Lady Tigers to new heights!

Join us in welcoming Coach Singleton to his new position! Let’s show him our support as we gear up for an incredible season.”

Both new hires combine to replace Kelton Thompson, who led both squads the past several seasons.

Hattiesburg Home

And speaking of new head coaches in South Mississippi, new Southern Miss women’s basketball head coach Missy Bilderback recently announced the signing of three transfers to round out her first roster.

And two of them are from the Harrison Central.

Joining the Lady Eagles are Charlotte/Jackson State transfer Hayleigh Breland, Mississippi State transfer Anaisha Carriere and ULM transfer Miriam Prince.

All Mississippi natives, Breland and Prince return home to the Magnolia State after playing one season away from home while Carriere moves closer to her home of Gulfport.

Former HCHS standout Breland returns home to Mississippi after spending a year at Charlotte. A versatile guard, she led the 49ers in scoring with 11.4 points per game alongside 74 assists and 31 steals. She made the move to the Queen City alongside head coach and former Lady Eagle Tomekia Reed, leaving Jackson State after two seasons.

“We are thrilled for Hayleigh to join our Lady Eagle family,” said Bilderback. “She is a very talented player that was arguably one of the top guards in the American Athletic Conference last season. She is tough, gritty and a hard-nosed player that possesses a lot of leadership intangibles. Hayleigh is an ultimate team player that loves to compete and, bottom line she is a winner. She is a tremendous addition for us, and we are so grateful she is back home wearing the Black & Gold.”

Breland began her career at Jackson State as a freshman in the 2022-23 season. She spent two years in the state capital under Reed and current Southern Miss assistant head coach Jonathan Williams, slowly developing her game. She played in 54 games in her two years at JSU, helping the team to the Postseason WNIT in 2023 and to the NCAA Tournament in 2024.

At Charlotte, she played in all 32 games with 31 starts on an average of 28.9 minutes per game. She drilled 47 threes with an overall field goal percentage of 33.2 percent. Charlotte started the season off slow, but Breland’s leadership helped the 12th-seeded 49ers rattle off two straight wins in the AAC Tournament. The team’s run ended in the semifinals to four-seed Temple but showed the growth the squad made over the season.

Carriere, the former top-rated recruit in Mississippi, spent last season at Mississippi State where she played in 10 games as a reserve. She he was one of the top targets in the Bulldogs’ highly rated 2024 signing class.

“We are excited to announce that Anaisha is a Lady Eagle,” said Bilderback. “She is a super talented sophomore that we look forward to investing in. She will be able to provide some versatility with her size, length and ability to shoot the three. Anaisha has an extremely bright future, and we believe she is one of the big-time young players in the Sun Belt Conference. We can’t wait to see the impact she will have on our team and program.”

Carriere helped Harrison Central High School (Lyman, Miss.) to three consecutive MHSAA Final Fours in her tenure, leading the Red Rebelettes to the championship game as a sophomore. She was named to the Clarion-Ledger’s Dandy Dozen listing as a senior and signed with Mississippi State over Auburn and others.

As a senior, she was named as the state’s top prospect by multiple outlets, including 247Sports and ESPNW HoopGurlz. Her 6-foot, 3-inch frame allows her to play as a guard and forward, offering her a wealth of playing time as a true sophomore in Hattiesburg.

Prince, a native of Philadelphia, Miss., rejoins Bilderback after playing last season under her at ULM.

The addition of Carriere and Breland brings the number of former HCHS products on the current USM roster to three, as they join Je’Mya Evans.

Evans played in all 31 games in her first season in Hattiesburg, earning two starts. She averaged 4.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game on 16.2 minutes per contest, and recorded four games in double-figures .

She arrived in Hattiesburg from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, where she started in all 28 games for the MACCC champion Lady Bulldogs.