Mississippi has produced more professional football players per capita than any other state and one of the reasons is the quality of coaching at the high school level, the author of a book about Mississippi high school football said Sunday.

“Gridiron Gold,” a new book by Mike Franscogna, Jr., and his sons, celebrate the wisdom of many of the coaches that helped change young men’s lives.

Franscogna was on hand Sunday, along with three coaches — ex-Warren Central coaches Robert Morgan, Lum Wright, and Bruce Merchant of Collins — at a book signing at Lorelei Books in Vicksburg.

“What we tried to do was explain the influence of these great high school coaches have on young people,” Franscogna said. “These coaches have had a phenomenal success.”

It’s that history of success that brought Franscogna to interview both Morgan and Wright.

“Coach Morgan’s success at Warren Central was the big reason. Not only did he lead the Vikings to two state titles but three of his sons played at Mississippi State and are now in coaching,” Franscogna said. “And then what can you say about Coach Wright. He’s a legend at Warren Central and he played for one of the legendary coaches in Mississippi in Bull Sullivan.”

Franscogna said he and his sons interviewed 129 coaches throughout the state.

“All of them had stories and we eventually used 109 of the interviews,” Franscogna said.

Wright said he was elated to be interviewed for the book.

“It gave me a chance to relive some memories that no one could destroy. I thank God that I was a coach for 46 years,” Wright said.

“Discipline was the No. 1 thing for my success, and it’s always been that way. I also feel I was able to relate to young people. But to do it through discipline was the big thing. And I think a lot of these other coaches shared that sentiment,” Wright added.

“Nobody worked harder than Lum Wright,” Merchant said. “I had many battles with them when I was at Pearl.”

“And of lot of those games went into overtime and double overtime,” Morgan said.

Sunday’s signing was the fifth of seven projected signings throughout the state. The book can be purchased at Lorelei Books and other book stores in the state for $32.95.