STARKVILLE — Starkville High School wants to dominate in track and field and are convinced they’ve found the man to do that with the hiring of Steven Griffin as its newest boys head coach.
Griffin, who comes to Starkville after several years as the assistant coach at Meridian High School, has set the expectations bar on day one as to what is acceptable for him and his athletes.
“They have a great foundation already in place and the kids are already ready for big things right now so it’s just about what kind of flavor I can add to the mix,” Griffin said. “I see myself helping this program win a state championship and multiple state championships.”
Griffin will be replacing Chris Barnett, who Griffin says he knows very well and considers him a good friend, after he decided to become the new track and field coach at Pearl High School.
“Dr. Miller has entrusted me the opportunity to come in and give my expertise to a program that is set for greatness,” Griffin said. “It’s going to be an excellent challenge for me to put this Yellow Jackets program on the top.”
When his future colleague Carolina Woomer, the SHS girls track coach, was informed Griffin was selected as the new coach she couldn’t have been more excited.
“I was at East Mississippi Community College and wanted to do a cartwheel out the front door when I found out he was the guy,” Woomer said. “I know all about his athletes and what he’s done at Meridian and so we’re so lucky to have him.”
The Starkville boys track team that Griffin, who will also teach biological science at SHS, is inheriting won the Class 5A North State meet last month and will be led by numerous returning sprinters including incoming senior Damien Grady in the 800 meters and incoming junior Charlie Henderson in the pole vault.
“When I met this guy and found out what he does on the athletic side but on the academic side is special,” Starkville athletic director Stan Miller said. “With this guy we got now and Caroline Woomer on the girls side then we’re going to be so good I can’t tell you.”
Griffin’s specialty is in the jumping events such us long jump, triple jump and hurdles after being a former state championship finalist in the 300-meter hurdles. Griffin coached Mississippi State University signee Scottie Hearn, who defended his 300-meter hurdle champion, to the lone Meridian individual state championship last month.
“My big thing throughout this process was I told everybody ‘I’m not looking for a football coach that wants to coach track (or) a basketball coach that wants to coach track’,” Miller said. “(Caroline) and Meridian football coach told me this guy runs the Meridian program and I was just on a high after that determined to get this guy with us.”
The one word that is used by everyone at the announcement to describe Griffin is energy as the former Southern University two-sport athlete including football says he will sometimes get in the starter blocks with his runners to challenge them personally.
“I’m getting a little older every day so I’ve got to limit how many times I do that but I eat, drink and breath this sport,” Griffin said.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.