Lamar’s Warden named MAIS Coach of the Year

Published 8:49 am Monday, March 9, 2026

Anyone involved with coaching knows the main duty is leading a team to victory.

That, however, is different for those involved with coaching youth sports. Just ask Rusty Warden.

Warden, the head coach for the Lamar School boys’ soccer team, knows his priorities as Raiders’ coach are much deeper than that.

In fact, Warden accomplished all his goals, especially when the Raiders beat Heritage Academy for the Midsouth Association of Independent Schools Class 4A, Division 2 state championship. Days later, Warden was named MAIS Division 2 Coach of the Year.

The Raiders’ championship was their first under Warden, who just completed his fourth season at Lamar School.

“My top priority,” Warden said, “is mentorship — creating better young men.

“My second priority is to make them better players,” Warden added. “My third priority is to help the kids get to the next level. If they want to get to the next level, I prepare them.”

The state championship was Warden’s first at the prep level.

He also credited his staff for their hard work, including assistant goalkeeper coach Evan Griffin, assistant coach and girls’ head soccer coach Thallison Alex and new assistant coach Dan Confait.

“If I weren’t here,” Warden said, “I would miss my time away from soccer. This is a passion. When I get on the field, everything else just melts away.”

Warden, 48, grew up in Meridian and attended West Lauderdale High School, where he played baseball, basketball and football.

“Soccer was just a weird sport at the time,” he said.

After graduating high school, Warden attended Meridian Community College, where he played golf.

He then went to Mississippi State University, where he began the Sports Psychology program and earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology.

While not playing soccer in college, Warden said he remained connected with the sport. Shortly after college, he returned to the sport that he had loved his entire life.

In 2012, Warden became a volunteer recruit and coach in the Meridian Youth Soccer Organization. He also began the organization’s Academy Program and helped build the American Futbol Club travel organization.

Warden credited his father, Tom, with teaching him how to be a coach.

“He taught me work ethic, resilience and perseverance,” Warden said. “He was a coach for years. He taught me a lot of important lessons.”

Warden said he was attracted to soccer as a child, calling it “a player’s game.”

“It’s a game,” he said, “where the player makes the decision on field. That is truly what makes the sport so great.”

Warden was joined on the soccer field by brother Randy, two years his junior.

“We definitely pushed each other on the field,” Warden said. “As youth soccer players, we played on the same team. He really made me play the best I could.”

Warden credited his parents for being his biggest supporters as he grew up in soccer.

“My mom took me to every game,” he said. “My dad, I could always pick out his voice in the stands.”

Warden’s 19-year-old daughter, Addyson, currently attends and plays soccer at Mississippi College after playing in high school.

He said he has plenty of lessons for Addyson if she ever chooses coaching after her playing days.

“As a young coach, you don’t know what you don’t know,” Warden said. “For the last four or five years, I created some structure. I’ve created a purpose: Why do I coach?”

Warden said he would like to continue coaching at Lamar School and thanked the school staff for their support.

“We have a great soccer family at Lamar School, a great soccer culture,” he said. “I’m thankful to the school for giving me the opportunity — to coach in a school setting where I’ve never been before.”