Since I started as the sports editor of The Columbian-Progress nearly five years ago — it will be five years in August — I’ve had the pleasure of working with some great coaches. But several of them are hanging up their whistles this year and another is returning to his home state.
Most of the coaches that are leaving are on the West side, where there has been a ton of turnover in a short time, from the superintendent to administrators to coaches who have personified the county school district. I’ve developed true friendships with many of them, and it’s going to be quite the adjustment saying goodbye to them and welcoming in the new coaches.
First off, Brad Duncan was hands down the coolest coach I got to work with here in Marion County. That isn’t a knock at any of the other coaches, but Duncan is in a class of his own. The two best things about Duncan are the way he genuinely cares about people — peers, student athletes, fans and media alike — and how he made it a point to develop true relationships with everyone he comes into contact with. No coach has given me as much access to their program as Duncan, and he made it both incredibly easy and fun to follow Trojans football. When it was time for me to cover a West Marion football game, I genuinely looked forward to it all week.
Joining Duncan in retirement is head softball coach Mike McMullin, who was also the athletic director and had previously coached football and baseball. Coach Mac has always been a joy to be around and is much funnier behind the scenes than he lets on on game day. He and his wife, Angela, who has been a volunteer statistician for the Trojans for years, are as kind-hearted as anyone you will find in athletics.
Lady Trojans basketball coach Steven Fortenberry was great to work with because you never knew what he was going to say week to week. Much like Duncan, he had a tendency to be extremely honest and wouldn’t hide behind coaching clichés when the Lady Trojans were losing. As a sports writer in a small community, that’s hard to find and it’s a quality I have a lot of respect for. He was always open and honest, and it was very evident how much he cared about his players.
Another softball coach who is leaving is Columbia’s Greg Arnold, who is returning to his home state of Alabama. It took some time for me to develop a real rapport with Arnold, but once I did, covering Lady Wildcats softball became a lot more fun. Honestly, when I first began this job, I had zero interest in covering softball. But as the teams got better and I got to know the players more, I had as much fun covering the sport as I did baseball. Arnold was a big part of that.
The last big coach in Marion County already left months ago, but it would be a disservice if I didn’t mention former CA football coach Randy Butler. The way he went about his job — as he loved to say, “not only athletically but academically, in the community and spiritually” — he truly wanted what was best for his players at all times. Talking football with Butler was always great because he would go deep into the Xs and Os with me, which I loved as a strategist at heart.
The new coaches stepping into these roles have some big shoes to fill, but they seem up to the task. Brandon Thornhill is well-known by all in Marion County and at West Marion, and all you have to do is look at the success he had as the Trojans defensive coordinator to see what he’s about as he steps into Duncan’s role.
Cory Odom, who many people know as the pastor at Morgantown Church of God, will be taking over for McMulllin with the Lady Trojans. Like Thornhill in football, Odom has been an assistant at West Marion for years, already knows the players and is as genuine of a person as you’ll find.
The Columbia School District swung bit and knocked it out of the park with its hire of Jamie Powell to replace Arnold. All Powell did at Wayne County was win, and when I got the chance to meet him in person Thursday, he displayed the same kind of energy Chip Bilderback does every day. We all know what Bilderback has done to turn Columbia football around.
As of this writing, I hadn’t a chance to meet with West Marion’s new girls basketball coach Calvin Newsom, who will be replacing Fortenberry. I have an interview with him scheduled, though, and there will be an article about him in our upcoming Mass Mailer edition Thursday. In fact, there will also be articles introducing Odom and Powell as well. Time will tell how the new coaches compare, but there’s no question they have a lot to live up to. -
Joshua Campbell is managing/sports editor of The Columbian-Progress. Reach him via email at joshuacampbell@columbianprogress.com or call (601) 736-2611.
