Harrison leaving WC for Madison|[6/6/06]

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, June 6, 2006

From Ernest Bowker.

Jay Harrison agonized for days over what to do.

Should he take a prestigious coaching job that offered a tremendous opportunity, great community support, and a continuous supply of top talent? Or stay in the town he was raised in, keep coaching at his alma mater, and produce successful teams for years to come?.

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The choice was tough, but in the end Harrison’s decision was clear. He had to move on.

Harrison, who has coached soccer at Warren Central since 1999, stepped down from that position to take over the boys’ program at Madison Central.

&#8220It just seems like a good situation, at a good time. They have a great soccer community – not that we don’t have that here. It’s just a great job that any soccer coach would want to have,” Harrison said. &#8220It was too good a situation to pass up.”

Vicksburg Warren athletic director Lum Wright wasn’t sure how long it would take to find a replacement for Harrison. Most teaching contracts around the state have already been offered for next year, meaning most of the top candidates are already locked up. Harrison did not have an assistant coach last season.

&#8220Whenever we can. It might just be whenever the right person shows up,” Wright said. &#8220We’re going to advertise, because I don’t know where one is.”

Wright added that he was sad to see Harrison leave.

&#8220He’s a super coach. Very organized, very well-disciplined,” Wright said. &#8220He’s a good young coach. He built a sound, disciplined program, and I think that’s why Madison Central wanted him so bad.”

Harrison played soccer at Warren Central and graduated from the school in 1993. He returned as the boys’ coach in 1999 and guided the team to a 75-55-5 record in seven seasons. Under his tutelage, the Vikings won three division championships (2000, ’01 and ’04) and reached the playoffs six times.

When the job at Madison Central opened up, however, Harrison decided to take a flier and applied for it. Madison has never won a boys state title, but has a rich soccer history and is in an area that draws a lot of players from Jackson’s select teams.

Harrison said it was solely the appeal of the Madison job – and not any feuds or faults in the Warren Central program – that led to his decision to apply. Once he was offered the job, that same appeal made it too tempting to pass up.

&#8220It’s not for any reason that anybody did anything to me, or anything like that. I threw my name in the hat and happened to be the guy they hired,” he said. &#8220The administration (at WC) has been great, the kids have been great and supportive, and that’s the thing I’m going to miss.”