By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

GULFPORT — The interview phase for the search for a new head baseball coach at Gulfport High began on Tuesday.

That part of the hunt is expected to last through Wednesday, before second interviews get underway on Thursday. An offer could possibly be extended to one of the candidates by Friday afternoon.

The next Gulfport School District meeting is set for Monday, July 7th.

Through sources close to the situation, SouthMiss6 Sports has learned of several potential candidates that will be involved in the interview phase of the search for the next Admirals head coach. Those include recent GHS acting head coach Kelly Weems, current Pascagoula head coach Colton Caver, former Harrison Central head coach Neil Frederic, West Harrison ssistant coach Leon Farmer, Gulfport Junior High coach Guy Lacy and Samford University assistant coach Myles Gentry along with Brandon High assistant coach Ze’Erika McQueen.

The recent announcement of the vacant head baseball coaching opening at Gulfport High means that one of top jobs on the diamond in South Mississippi is available.

The Admirals are looking for a new head coach after a three month saga came to an abrupt end recently when Justin Edwards officially stepped down.

Edwards began his first year at the helm of the Admirals in February but in mid-March he took a leave of absence for personal reasons. He was replaced by assistant coach Weems, who finished out the season.

Weems was officially the “acting head coach” of the Admirals for the last two months of the season, being elevated from his role as pitching coach after the departure of Edwards.

Weems came to GHS to replace Caver as an assistant several seasons ago. Prior to that, he spent 13 seasons at Harrison Central most as the pitching coach under both recent Red Rebel head coach Neil Frederic as well as longtime mentor Red Rebel Pat Olmi.

After stepping in for Edwards, he went on to guide Gulfport to an 18-10 overall mark and to the second seed in Region 4-7A and home-field advantage in the opening round of the Class 7A South State playoffs.

Caver spent four seasons at his alma mater Gulfport as an assistant under veteran head coach Jamie McMahon, including helping lead GHS to the Class 6A state championship in 2023. The 2012 GHS graduate then left to take over the helm of the Panthers, where he has been the past two seasons.

Gentry is a name that has gained much momentum in certain circles since the vacancy was announced. Gentry, like Caver, is a former Gulfport High standout player.

Gentry, who graduated at GHS with Caver in 2012, is currently the Director of Player Development at Samford University.

Gentry came to the Birmingham, Ala., program two years ago from Jones where he spent two stints on staff with the Bobcats from 2021-2023 and 2017-2019.

In between his first and second stints in Ellisville, Gentry worked as the pitching coach at Desoto Central High School.

He played collegiate baseball at Mississippi State University from 2012-17, including in 2013, a year that saw the Bulldogs finish national runner-up to UCLA in the College World Series.

However, word has also surfaced that Gentry may also be considered to replace former Southern Miss assistant coach Keller Bradford with the Golden Eagles.

Gentry has ties with current Southern Miss head coach Christian Ostrander from Ostrander’s time as head coach at Jones Junior College.

Bradford recently left USM to become the pitching coach at Liberty University.

Ostrander was the head coach at Gulfport High in 2007 and 2008. Both Caver and Gentry were eighth graders during his last year with the Admirals.