When he was hired as Vicksburg High’s baseball coach in 2015, Derrick DeWald says he had three primary goals.

“There were three things I really wanted to do. I wanted to get a hitting facility built, and that’s done. I wanted to play on our own field, and that’s coming,” he said. “And, of course, I wanted to win.”

DeWald hasn’t been able to check that last item off the list, and so he’s decided to give someone else a chance to do it. Last week, DeWald turned in his resignation as VHS’ coach, effective at the end of the season.

Vicksburg has a 3-14 record this season, with nine games remaining in the regular season. It can, however, still earn a spot in the Class 5A playoffs by splitting a home doubleheader against Callaway next Tuesday.

“I think it’s time to move on. I did it four years, and the program is not going in the direction I wanted it to,” DeWald said. “This is year four, and with seven guys coming back I felt like this was the year we were going to turn it around or not. We’re 3-14 and not getting it done, and that falls back on me.”

Vicksburg won 13 games the year before DeWald took over, and never less than 10 under previous coaches Ryan Grey and Jamie Creel. Barring a late-season rally, it will not have reached that mark at all on DeWald’s watch.

The Gators are 21-71 under DeWald heading into Friday’s game at Germantown.

DeWald’s second team in 2016 only had three seniors on the roster, and some promising young players such as outfielder D.J. Lewis and catcher Caleb Sterling transferred to Warren Central early in their high school careers.

DeWald, however, took the blame for not developing players well enough to be more competitive, and said he thought it was time to step down.

“I had to look in the mirror and ask myself the tough question of, ‘If we’re not getting it done, whose fault is it?’ And at the end of the day, it’s mine,” he said.

DeWald informed his players and VHS administrators of his decision late last week. He said he didn’t want it to be a distraction on the field, and also wanted to give the school district a chance to get a head start on finding his successor.

“Contracts have come out, so I had to let the administration know. I wanted to give them a chance to find somebody,” DeWald said. “I didn’t want the players to hear it from anybody else or keep it hush-hush. I didn’t want them to keep asking me if I was coming back or not.”

DeWald also stressed that the decision to leave was his, and his alone.

“The administration at the school, (principal Angela) Johnson and (athletic director) Preston Nailor have been supportive. It was my decision. I made the decision to walk away. There was no pressure,” he said.

Although his teams struggled on the field, DeWald did make strides in improving Vicksburg’s program behind the scenes. A new batting cage was built at its Showers Field practice field, and the recently passed school bond issue includes money to renovate that facility into the Gators’ home park. It has played home games at city-owned Bazinsky Field for the past 20 years.

DeWald also partnered with St. Aloysius and Porter’s Chapel Academy to start a spring break tournament in Vicksburg. This year marked its second year and included 17 teams.

DeWald said he’s spoken with St. Al coach Sid Naron and PCA’s Wade Patrick and they plan to continue and expand it next year. The 2019 edition will be spread over four days and include up to 32 teams.

In addition, DeWald said some of the younger players in VHS’ program are showing potential. He simply didn’t feel like he was the man to help them fulfill it.

“Whoever comes in next year is going to be set up pretty good,” DeWald said.

As for his next step, DeWald said he plans to remain in coaching but likely as an assistant. He does not yet have his next job lined up, but has been coaching in Central Mississippi for more than 15 years and felt confident he’d be able to land one once the season ends and the annual offseason job shuffle begins.

“I’m going to take a step back, go back to being an assistant, recharge my batteries and get to do what I enjoy doing outside of coaching. I invested a lot of time into this program, and it’s taken me away from my family,” he said. “I’m going to go back to X’s and O’s and not worry about fundraising and ordering things and all of that stuff that comes with being a head coach.”