Rusty Greene worked as athletic director for six years for the Columbus Municipal School District.
A 1981 graduate of Stephen D. Lee High, Greene has lived in Columbus his whole life. He grew up in East Columbus, so he was part of Caldwell High before his family moved to north Columbus and he switched to Lee High. He admits no one wants Columbus High to succeed more than he does.
But Greene’s time as CMSD athletic director was marked with change. Greene worked for four superintendents — Del Phillips, Martha Liddell, Edna Magill and Philip Hickman — in his tenure. He also finished his time at CMSD as an assistant principal at the high school. He said he didn’t start that way but took on additional responsibilities as a full-time assistant principal due to the “budget crunch” in 2010.
Greene said the changes in leadership created a situation where it was difficult to establish consistency in the athletic program.
“I came in when Dr. Phillips was there and Columbus was rolling,” Greene said. “Columbus had it going on, and that was the place you wanted to be. He left after one year and it became more difficult. The more changes that were made it became more difficult, and obviously the last change that was made it very difficult.”
CMSD is still trying to develop greater stability in its athletic department. Earlier this month, Columbus High football coach Randal Montgomery was fired. The CMSD’s Board of Trustees has yet to ratify the administrative decision that still has Montgomery in limbo.
Also, in the last five years, the boys’ basketball, baseball, softball, and boys’ soccer programs also have been through coaching changes.
Lack of consistency
Greene, who left his position at the CMSD to become principal at Aberdeen Middle School, retired from working in schools and is now a Realtor. He said the lack of consistency in his time working in the CMSD created a situation where there was “nothing you could depend on being there. You knew it was going to change monthly, or at least yearly.”
In addition to issues of consistency, Greene said a number of people had a say in athletic matters. He said he didn’t have a problem with that because he feels schools need different opinions to help ensure best courses of actions for their students. Greene also said he felt comfortable giving his input and was supported in many of his hiring recommendations.
But Greene said there also were some firings that weren’t his decision and “came from the top.” He said it was his job to be the “bag man” and to give the coaches the bad news.
“There were a lot of people pulling strings at the top,” Greene said. “Whether they were getting pressure from somewhere else or if that was their own personal opinion, (I don’t know). Things were relayed to me that ‘this is part of your job and we’re going to make a change here,’ and that is what I did.”
Greene said the uncertainty affected the sports teams because multiple programs had multiple coaches in his time in the CMSD. He said turnover of coaches creates frustration when they aren’t given time to do the jobs they were hired to do.
Greene’s last hire was Montgomery as Columbus High’s football coach.
“I thought it was a great hire at the time,” Greene said. “I still think it was a good hire, and I wish he was still there.”
Change and stability
Montgomery, who had just completed his fourth season, said officials “simply told me they wanted to go in a different direction.”
“They asked me if I had any questions, and I didn’t,” he said. “The whole meeting lasted two minutes. I am really in shock. We had a bad season, but I didn’t see this being the end result. We were working on something special.”
In four seasons, Montgomery’s teams were 20-26. Columbus qualified for the MHSAA Class 6A playoffs in 2015 and 2016. This season, the Falcons finished 2-9.
While the boys’ basketball program is on its fourth coach in four seasons, and the football program will need a new coach, Columbus High girls’ basketball coach Yvonne Hairston is one of the longest-tenured coaches on staff. Now in her 11th year at the school — and 15th year with CMSD — Hairston feels Columbus High’s athletic department is doing well, even though she acknowledges there has been a lot of turnover.
Hairston pointed to the success of the girls’ and boys’ basketball programs, the softball programs, which are coached by Eric Thornton, and the recent playoff appearances by the football team as signs of the strength of the athletic department in the state’s highest classification.
“Across the board, I think our athletic department is where it needs to be to be competitive in 6A,” Hairston said. “I foresee us continuing to rise.”
Plenty of support
Anthony Carlyle led the Velma Jackson High boys’ basketball team to four MHSAA Class 3A State titles in five years. He said he has received plenty of support from the administration and the CMSD since he was hired in April.
“Everything has been good,” Carlyle said. “Sometimes on the outside looking in before taking the job you hear a lot of things, but I haven’t had any problems since I have been here. They have done everything to support me, and anything we have needed to be successful they have provided. I think they are doing a great job.”
Carlyle said he didn’t allow any of the chatter about Columbus High and the CMSD affect his decision to become the school’s fourth boys’ basketball coach in as many years. In May 2015, CMSD announced former Alcorn State University men’s basketball coach and John W. Provine High boys’ basketball coach Luther Riley was replacing Sammy Smith as head coach. Smith led Columbus to a 22-6 record in his final season. The Falcons lost in the second round of the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) Class 6A State tournament.
Under Riley, Columbus (27-5) defeated Starkville 37-33 in the MHSAA Class 6A State title game for the program’s first state championship. But Riley didn’t return for a second season. His successor, longtime Columbus High assistant boys’ basketball coach Gary Griffin, also lasted only one season. Griffin is now girls’ and boys’ basketball coach at Caledonia High.
Carlyle said he didn’t decide to come to Columbus because the school has a reputation for having a lot of athletes or because it meant a move from Class 3A to Class 6A.
“Everybody here wants to win. That is anywhere,” Carlyle said. “If you’re winning, everything is fine. If you’re not winning, everything is not fine. It doesn’t matter if you’re in high school, whether you’re in Columbus, if you’re a NBA coach, a college coach. That is just the way it is. Fans want their programs to be successful and they want them to win, and I understand that.”
Lack of consistency
But the turnover of coaches in boys’ basketball, football, and baseball in recent years has resulted in a lack of consistency that Greene referred to. He said multiple coaching changes take away from the fact that Columbus High has plenty of athletes and potential in its sports programs, but he said the lack of consistency makes it hard for coaches to feel they have the support of their administration.
“You can’t depend on somebody having your back and knowing that if you give it 100 percent they’re going to have your back and be there with you and being a team player,” Greene said. “It starts at the top, and not having somebody there year after year that you can count on and know that is how you’re going to run it to be that leader, it permeates everything. … You have no way of building a program.
“You look at other high schools and other situations where coaches are there and they are established and you know what you’re getting, that means a whole lot.”
Greene said the uncertainty hurts him. He graduated from Stephen D. Lee High in 1981 and has lived in Columbus his whole life. He grew up in East Columbus, so he was part of Caldwell High before his family moved to north Columbus and he switched to Lee High.
Greene said the merger of the city’s two high schools in 1992 didn’t click, which he said was disappointing. He recalls there being a lot of excitement because people believed the merger would create a successful athletic program at Columbus High. Today, he said loyalty and consistency are issues the CMSD will have to resolve to help the athletic department realize its potential.
“There is just no leadership,” Greene said. “Find somebody. Trust them and put them in there. Let’s find some good people and have their back and, hopefully, build something because the talent is there.
“If you’re talking about athletics, Columbus has talent, and they always do.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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 37 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.