Gavin leaves Harrison Co. athletics on high note

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GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) — During his 41-year career in coaching and administration, Mike Gavin has matched wits with some of the best football coaches, played for some of the best football coaches, and coached some of the better players.

Gavin, who will turn 65 in July, will be retiring as the Harrison County School's Athletic Director this summer and will take a treasure trove of memories into his retirement.

And what a way to go out, with recent state championships at Harrison Central in fast-pitch softball and track and field, both West Harrison basketball teams doing well, the success of Harrison Central and D'Iberville football, and the return of the Harrison Central girls' basketball team to the 6A State Tournament. In 2013, the Harrison Central boys went to the state basketball tournament.

"Probably the one thing I will miss most is all the people I've met during my career," Gavin said.

Gavin started his coaching career in 1973 at Harrison Central as a ninth-grade coach under Harold Hitt. He went to St. John High School in January of 1978 and produced a lot number of top-flight teams with the Eagles in 10 seasons. He went to East Central for 2½ years before coaching at his alma mater, D'Iberville, from 1990-97.

At that point, he left high school coaching to become the defensive coordinator and assistant head coach for Steve Wright at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College for six years. That also included a two-year stint with the indoor pro football team — the Mississippi Fire Dogs — in which he coached for the late Irvin Favre during their two national championships.

Administration then became his call — from 2003 to 2011 at Stone Middle School before taking the athletic director job for Harrison County Schools when Lonnie Tillman retired. Tillman now has a position with the Mississippi High School Activities Association.

"All these years I've worked for some good people," Gavin said. "We had some good teams at St. John and some good teams at D'Iberville. I think I'm more proud that I've had some doctors and lawyers who have played for me, and moved along in those professions."

Ironically, Gavin played for the coaching legend Hugh Pepper as a ninth-grader at D'Iberville and in high school with Tom Ferrill and coaching legend Buddy Singleton. When he coached at D'Iberville, he was under Singleton, who at that time was athletic director. And he finishes as athletic director and Singleton is back coaching at D'Iberville.

He matched wits with the likes of Picayune's Dodd Lee, Biloxi's John Williams, Ocean Springs' Hugh Pepper and Gulfport's Ronnie Cuevas.

Gavin has overseen the renovation of the Harrison Central and D'Iberville football stadiums with artificial turf. They added middle-school softball and soccer programs in Harrison County schools, tennis and golf at West Harrison High School, and volleyball at D'Iberville.

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Information from: The Sun Herald, http://www.sunherald.com