By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

GULFPORT — For the first time in at least 60 years, an alumnus of Gulfport High is set to lead the Admirals baseball team.

Just as SouthMiss6 Sports first reported Monday afternoon, Myles Gentry was offered and accepted the head coaching position at GHS. Gentry, a 2012 Gulfport High graduate, is currently serving as the Director of Player Development at Samford University.

While one local television reported Monday night that Gentry has been “hired”, according to GHS Athletics Director Matt Walters, the move is actually pending school board approval with the next meeting set for Monday.

“A recommendation has been made to the Gulfport School District Board of Trustees, who will vote at the next board meeting.” Walters told SouthMiss6 Sports Tuesday afternoon.

Not in the “modern day” era of Gulfport High , since integration in 1970, has a former player served as the head coach of the baseball team nor since the consolidation of Gulfport and Gulfport East High in 1977.

“I’m humbled and excited to return to my alma mater as the head baseball coach,” Gentry said, in a statement Monday night. “It is an honor to have the opportunity to lead the program.”

Gentry emerged from a final list of four candidates for the open post. He, recent acting GHS head coach Kelly Weems, Pascagoula High head coach Colton Caver and Brandon High assistant coach Ze’Erika McQueen were the final four that emerged after interviews with a search committee, according to sources close to the situation.

Caver, in fact, is also a 2012 Gulfport grad and former Admiral player who was teammates with Gentry at GHS. He spent four seasons at his alma mater as an assistant under veteran head coach Jamie McMahon, including helping lead GHS to the Class 6A state championship in 2023. He then left to take over the helm of the Panthers, where he has been the past two seasons.

Weems is expected to stay on Gentry’s staff and perhaps move back into his role as pitching coach. He came to GHS to replace Caver as an assistant several seasons ago. Prior to that, he spent 13 seasons at Harrison Central.

He stepped in mid-season after the sudden departure of GHS head coach Justin Edwards and 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.

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. During most of his three month absence, and even according to Walters at times, he was set to return to his post to lead the Admirals.

However, three weeks ago he stepped down permanently, opening up one of top jobs on the diamond in South Mississippi and ending a three month saga.

Former Harrison Central head coach Neil Frederic, West Harrison assistant coach Leon Farmer and Gulfport Junior High coach Guy Lacy were among others that were confirmed to interview for the job.

But Gentry, whose candidacy was reported immediately by SouthMiss6 Sports once the job came open, gained much momentum in certain circles as the search process continued.

Gentry arrived at Samford two years ago from Jones  Junior College 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.

After his playing days with the Admirals, Gentry played collegiate baseball at Mississippi State University from 2012-17, including the 2013 season that saw the Bulldogs finish national runner-up to UCLA in the College World Series.