SCOOBA – Billy Begley was really hoping to get the call.
Serving as an assistant coach at Troy University, Begley was hoping to get the call when East Mississippi Community College men’s basketball coach Mark White resigned last month to take the head coaching position at Tallahassee Community College.
Begley did get the call and accepted right away, returning home to take over as the new EMCC coach. The hiring became official during a press conference Thursday on the Scooba campus.
“When we began the search, (Begley) was certainly on the short list,” EMCC Director of Athletics Mickey Stokes said. “We immediately thought of his name when we had an opening. He has the characteristics of the type of coach we want to bring in to run one of our programs.
“He is everything that we wanted and then some.”
Begley spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach at Troy, under former MSU assistant coach Phil Cunningham. While Cunningham was in Starkville, Begley played five seasons at MSU, including serving as a three-time team co-captain.
“Playing senior college basketball taught me some valuable lessons about the game and lessons about life,” Begley said. “I am looking forward to instilling these principles in the young people of today. I can’t tell you how excited I am about getting the opportunity to coach in the (Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges).
“I was really hoping this opportunity would present itself. Now is the time to make the most of it.”
White coached EMCC for eight seasons. Leaving with a composite record of 161-66, White guided the Lions to four consecutive Region XXIII championships and appearances in the National Junior College Athletic Association national championship tournament. Begley served three seasons at EMCC (2010-2013) under White at EMCC.
“It is exciting to be part of the Lion family again,” Begley said. “During my time here earlier, it was some of the best moments of my life both professionally and personally. We were able to have great success on the court. More importantly, we were able to have great success off the court.
“My third year here I met the lady I will spend the rest of my life with (finance Lee Davis, who works at Mississippi State). So that is another reason, this place will always have a very special place in my heart.
The togetherness of the EMCC campus is what sets the school’s athletic programs apart.
“What always made EMCC so special was the people that you got to go to work alongside with every day,” Begley said. “If you look at East Mississippi Community College, the word community is very important that. This place was an attractive job and opportunity for me because of the people here.
“It is something I am grateful for and humbled by. The word community could be replaced by love and support. Teachers, students, staff, this is a special place. You feel the togetherness. You feel the community.”
Begley said the challenge to continuing White’s success is making sure that recruiting the Golden Triangle remains a top priority. With the recent elimination of recruiting districts, student-athletes may sign with any of the 15 MACJC institutions.
“Taking care of what is in your backyard is most important,” Begley said. “You have to have the best players in your area. You can win with the players playing in the high schools in our area. All of the coaches around our area have quality programs. You have to keep those kids at home. You have to tell them you have a great opportunity here.
“When you can walk out of the locker room and see whomever is important to you that really matters a lot. You want those family members to share the highs and lows with you. Getting the right kids from the area will be very important for our continued success.”
After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees from MSU, Begley began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Nicholls State University during the 2009-10 season.
This past season, EMCC finished 18-8 overall and 9-3 in MACJC North Division play. The Lions typically led the nation in several defensive categories under White, but slipped to an average of 75.9 points per game allowed last season.
Still, the principles are in place and Begley expects to continue to field a program which can compete on the national level, similar to the two-time defending NJCAA football national champions at EMCC.
“You have to recruit the best kids but you also have to recruit the right kids,” Begley said. “It starts in the classroom. We have always taken pride in being the hardest-working team in the state. That will continue. You have to have the light switch on on the basketball court and in the classroom.
“I have already reached out to the players and to some of their parents. I told them you are going to work harder than you ever have but you are going to have fun while you are doing it.”
Follow Scott Walters on Twitter @dispatchscott.
Scott was sports editor for The Dispatch.
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