Coaches
Mike Smith, Head Football Coach
J. Mike Smith enters his fifth season as the head coach of the Hinds Community College football program. The 2007 campaign also marks his 21st year overall as a member of the Hinds staff, where he has been involved with winning six state championships.
The Florence resident has an overall record of 24-14, which translates into a .632 winning percentage. Smith, who also serves as the offensive line coach, has put together quite a string of accomplishments as a head coach.
In 2003, the Eagles finished as the South State champions, played for the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges Association (MACJC) state championship, received several bowl offers and finished ranked in the national polls. Hinds amassed an impressive 9-2 overall record, and Smith was named as the 2003-2004 Coach of the Year by the MACJC.
The 2004 season proved almost identical to the previous season as the Eagles (9-2) competed in the state title game once again, received more bowl offers and finished as the ninth ranked team in the nation. Hinds lost both of its state title games to perennial power Pearl River Community College, which is the reigning four-time state champion.
The 2005 football season was a disappointment for the entire state, as Hurricane Katrina destroyed the Gulf Coast region. This disaster shortened the MACJC football season, and this only allowed the Eagles to complete seven games. Hinds lost out on valuable practice time and stumbled to a 3-4 finish.
The 2006 season was a difficult pill to swallow for Hinds, as the Eagles finished with a 3-6 overall record. The team fought through a rash of injuries and inexperience, as a total of 29 players were freshmen.
Smith came to Hinds Community College after serving as an assistant football and baseball coach at Wingfield High School in Jackson. Prior to his experience in the Jackson Public Schools, Smith spent eight years at Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson and two years at Central High School in West Helena, Ark.
Smith, a Magee native, was a football standout at Magee High School. The 1971 MHS graduate's ability on the gridiron landed him a scholarship to nearby Co-Lin Junior College. Smith landed first-team National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American honors while at Co-Lin. His play at the junior college level led him to Delta State University in Cleveland, where he would eventually receive both his bachelor and master degrees in Education. Smith's effort on the field and in the classroom earned him a place in the Copiah-Lincoln Sports Hall of Fame, where he was inducted in October 2006.
Smith is married to the former Tammy Helton of Lumberton. They have two daughters, Jennifer and Brittany, and three sons, Jay (a Hinds graduate), Jared and Hunter. Members of the family also include son-in-law Seth Ferguson, daughter-in-law Amber Boykin Smith, and granddaughters Anna Catherine and Alli Claire Ferguson.
Thoughts on the previous year:
"We lost some close games. Our talent level was not quite good enough to overcome those close battles. However, there was only one game that I felt like we had poor effort."
Thoughts on the upcoming year:
"Our talent level is hopefully better. We have a young group that hopefully will respond to the Hinds tradition and get us back to our winning ways."
David Armstrong, Offensive Coordinator
David Armstrong is currently in his second season as the offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator for the Hinds football program. Armstrong also serves as the coach for the quarterbacks, wide receivers and running backs.
Armstrong has a well-documented coaching career filled with past successes. In fall 2005, he served as the head coach at Louisiana College in Pineville, La., leading the Wildcats to a 4-5 overall record. It was here that he served in a dual role as offensive coordinator, setting many records in the process. The Wildcats finished first in the American Southwest Conference (ASC) and fourth in the nation with an average of 512.6 yards of total offense per game, first in the conference and second in the nation with 385.1 yards of passing offense per game and second in the conference and 30th in the nation with 35.6 points per game on average. Louisiana College led the ASC in seven offensive categories. His work with QB Wes Cooper led him to more than 3,000 yards passing and 25 touchdowns.
Before his stint at Louisiana College, Armstrong served as the quarterbacks coach at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. Armstrong tutored QB Ray Nelson, who finished with first-team Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) honors in 2003 and 2004. Nelson finished as Samford's all-time leader in passing yards with 7,950 and in total offense with 9,575 yards.
Prior to his time at Samford, Armstrong served as the offensive coordinator at Copiah-Lincoln Community College during the 2001 season. The Wolves started the season 4-0 and reached a No. 13 national ranking early in the season, finishing with their first winning season in several years.
Armstrong has also served in an offensive coordinator capacity at North Greenville College in Tigerville, S.C., where he was named as the offensive coordinator for the NAIA National College All-Star game in Orlando, Fla. Other coaching experiences include Greenville College in Greenville, Ill., Bainbridge High School in Bainbridge, Ga. and graduate assistant coach at Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe, La. It was also during this time that he coached at Austin Peay University in Clarksville, Tenn.
After playing his high school football at Brentwood High School in Brentwood, Tenn., Armstrong received a football scholarship to Western Kentucky University, where he was a four-year letterman. He quarterbacked the 1988 team to a 9-4 record and helped them advance to the quarterfinals of the NCAA I-AA championships. In 1989, Armstrong received his Bachelor of Arts degree from WKU. He furthered his education by receiving a Master of Science degree from Austin Peay University in 1992.
Armstrong and his wife Michelle reside in Clinton, where they are the parents of three boys: Jackson, 12, Andrew, 9 and Isaac, 6.
Larry Williams, Defensive Coordinator / Assistant Head Coach
Larry Williams is currently in his fifth season with the Hinds football program. He serves in a multitude of roles as assistant head coach, defensive coordinator and strength coach.
Williams started his coaching career at Mississippi Delta Community College, where he spent six seasons as the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach. He was a key component of the Region 23 Coaching Staff of the Year in 1998 and 2001 at Mississippi Delta.
Williams earned his associate of arts in physical education from the Moorhead school before moving onto Mississippi State University. He completed his undergraduate requirements by receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Educational Psychology. Williams has also done graduate work at Delta State University.
Williams was a standout on the gridiron during his collegiate career. At MDCC, he was a member of the 1993 NJCAA National Championship team. For his play, he was named a junior college All-American and defensive MVP for the Trojans. Williams continued to blossom at MSU, earning MSU Defensive Lineman of the Year honors in 1994 and Peach Bowl MVP in 1995.
The Indianola Gentry High School graduate would go to play for the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL for one season before a short tenure with the Scotland Claymores of the World Football League.
Williams, who resides in Raymond, is the father of one daughter, Annastasis. He is a member of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and the Mississippi Association of Coaches (MAC).
Shawn Garrick, Defensive Backs Coach / Graduate Assistant
Shawn Garrick is serving in his second season as the defensive backs coach and graduate assistant coach for the Hinds Community College football team.
Garrick, who received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Performance and Leisure and Sport from New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, N.M., spent a three-year coaching stint at his alma mater. He served as the assistant defensive line coach and cornerbacks coach. He also spent time as the equipment manager, a teaching assistant and video coordinator. Garrick also earned his Associate of Arts degree from Yuma Community College in Yuma, Ariz.
Garrick, a 1996 graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School in Portland, Ore., is engaged to Willow Ray of Brandon, Miss. He resides in Raymond.