Brian Rea returns to Nettleton to lead baseball program
Jun. 20—Brian Rea is back where it all started.
The 1995 Nettleton graduate has been hired to lead his alma mater's baseball program. He received school board approval on Tuesday.
It marks a return home for Rea, who spent the last nine years on the Coast — eight seasons as Ocean Springs head coach and then this past season as a Biloxi assistant.
"I had no family on the Coast. I had a great time down there, and I worked in some really good school districts. But it was just time to get back to North Mississippi. That's where my roots are," Rea said.
Rea's very first coaching gig was as a Nettleton assistant some 20 years ago. He later was head coach at Corinth (two years), Ridgeland (five years) and Madison Central (three years).
He has a 292-204 head coaching record and led Ridgeland to a state championship in 2011.
"We're going to talk about doing things the Tiger way around here," Rea said. "They don't know what that is yet, and there will be a standard we'll put in place. We want to play a tough brand of baseball, be hard-nosed and fundamental."
Rea, 46, replaces Luke Hargett, who was 37-23 in two seasons.
Also approved Tuesday was Luke Adkins as an assistant coach. The former Nettleton standout was head coach at Starkville the past five seasons.
"To be able to get guy who's been a head coach on the 6A level, and on top of that he being a Nettleton guy like I am — he has so much pride in the town, the school and the baseball program like I do," Rea said. "To bring in a guy like that, in addition to retaining Josh Baty on staff here, we feel like we've got one of the best staffs at any level around these parts."
