Wade Pierce

Southeast Lauderdale has found its next head football coach.

Wade Pierce has been called to be the guy to lead the Tigers. Pierce spent the last two seasons as the head coach at Hamilton, where he went 6-16 in those in 2019-20 leading the Lions. Pierce’s hiring was announced at Thursday evening’s Lauderdale County School Board meeting.

“I’m really excited for the opportunity (at) Southeast Lauderdale. It’s a great school with great leadership,” Pierce said. “There are also some great athletes at Southeast that I look forward to getting to know and coach. I look forward to getting to meet everyone and become a part of the Southeast Lauderdale family.

“My time at Hamilton has been great. The guys bought in to what we as a staff were asking them to do. I truly believe that the program is on the rise and that whoever comes in here will be coming in at a great time. The people of Hamilton have been great, and I could never thank them enough for what they have done for me and my family.”

Before taking the Hamilton job in 2019, Pierce was the offensive coordinator at Neshoba Central from 2016-2018. He is a Philadelphia native and a 2006 graduate of Neshoba Central.

“It’s a great opportunity. Once again it’s a great school and a great community. I know that there are some really good football players there as well,” Pierce said. “I’m very familiar with the area growing up right up the road in Neshoba County, so I know there can be a quality program developed there. I know the players are a hard-working group, and I look forward to coaching them.”

Pierce is taking over the Southeast Lauderdale program after previous head coach Calvin Hampton died in an accident near the school that involved an 18-wheeler last October.

The Tigers went 2-7 in 2020 and reached the first round of the MHSAA Class 3A playoffs. They were the No. 4 seed out of Region 5-3A.

Pierce referenced that the Tigers will be a physical run-oriented offense and will mainly run a 3-4 defense.

“Offensively, we have ran a little bit of everything before, and that’s what I plan on doing,” Pierce said. “We are definitely going to be a strong, physical, run-oriented team, but we also aren’t going to be afraid to spread it out. We will adapt to the athletes that we have. 

“Defensively, we are going to be fast and physical. At Hamilton, we have mostly run a 3-4, and that is what we will try to run at Southeast — but again, we will see what our guys can do.”