Morgan named Leake Academy’s boys basketball coach
For the first time in more than three and a half decades, Leake Academy has a new boys basketball coach.
After an exhaustive search, Leake Academy recently hired Jason Morgan as the school’s new boys basketball coach.
Morgan replaces Phil Shepard, who retired from coaching after 36 years, more than 800 career wins and three state championships. Shepard will remain at the school in a teaching role.
Morgan comes to Leake from Grace Christian in Louisville, where he recently won a state championship in the Association of Independent Christian Schools. Morgan also served as the school’s headmaster.
“I have had a great job the last three years,” Morgan said. “The school has the highest population it has ever had and we won a state championship. My kids go to school there and it’s four miles from my house. But as soon as I heard the Leake Academy job was open, I immediately thought that I would drop what I was doing to take that job. Leake is by far one of the top jobs in the MAIS. I’ve always called it a top five job.”
Morgan realizes that he has big shoes to fill in replacing Shepard, who’s father’s name is on the gym.
“Coach Shepard, who has been her forever, is a legendary coach and one of the best to ever coach in Mississippi,” Morgan said. “The program is in great shape and the players are great. The parents are hungry for everything involving basketball. You have a legendary gym that I have come to for years. The particular group of kids that are coming back have an opportunity to be great.”
Morgan started coaching at the age of 19 which he was a student at Mississippi State, coaching at Grace Christian. Since then, he has made stops at Greenville Christian where he won a MAIS state championship.
Morgan said he realizes he is coming to a “basketball” school and is grateful for the opportunity.
“I feel like we are off to a great start and that’s due to the shape of the program,” Morgan said. “I have taken over some programs that were not in very good shape.”