UTICA — Hinds Community College has found its next women’s basketball head coach.

Perry Fletcher, a Morton native who has had a successful 18-year run in Mississippi’s high school ranks, was hired this week, the school announced Wednesday.

Fletcher most recently served as the boys’ basketball head coach at Terry High School and led his teams to two Region 6-6A tournament championships. He has also been the head coach at Morton, Forest, Murrah and Newton with both girls and boys teams at various times.

Fletcher’s 2019 Newton team won the MHSAA Class 2A girls state championship. He also led Forest’s boys team to a runner-up finish in the Class 3A tournament in 2016 and Murrah’s boys to a runner-up finish in Class 6A in 2017.

Before entering the high school ranks in 2004, Fletcher was a graduate assistant with Alcorn State’s women’s team and assistant head coach with the men’s team. He played basketball at Jackson State.

“Perry stood out during the entire selection process as a leader and someone who is passionate about changing lives,” Hinds director of athletics Nathan Werremeyer said in a statement. “Through many conversations, Fletcher made himself stand apart as someone who knew a lot about the Utica campus and the people there. He’s a proven winner and knows what it takes to lead young women on and off the court.”

Fletcher has also written two books — “A Glance at Life from Spiritual Eyes”; and “24 — A Coach’s Devotional” — and is the senior pastor of Greater New Friendship Baptist Church in Brandon.

Fletcher will begin his official duties on July 1. He replaces Jackie Martin-White, who recently left to become the girls’ head coach at Long Beach High School.

Martin-White also coached at Warren Central for 10 seasons before going to Hinds in 2018.