By Bryant Thigpen
Riverbend News
Lafayette High School is the home of many great coaches and athletes. In fact, two of their former coaches have been inducted into the hall of fame. Fourteen of the last 15 seasons have resulted in trips to the playoffs. The bar has been raised high in Lafayette County, but the Hornets’ new head football coach Derek Garland is ready to leave his legacy and lead his team to greater heights.
“I want to continue to build upon the foundation that has been laid here,” Garland said. “We want to keep that legacy going.”
While Garland may be new to the position, he is very familiar with the sidelines. Since the second grade, Garland has called Lafayette County home, and he was very active in sports, playing baseball and basketball during his high school career. After graduating from Lafayette High in 1991, Garland accepted a scholarship to go play baseball at Faulkner University in Montgomery, Ala.
Faulkner was at a Christian school and Garland admits he was just there to play baseball. However, he didn’t realize God was setting the stage for something greater. “In my mind, I was thinking, ‘they’re making me go to chapel,’ but all I wanted to do was play baseball,” he laughed. “But looking back now, I see the purpose for it. I can look back and see where God was working.”
During his fifth year of attending college at Faulkner, some of his fellow teammates had started inviting him to go to church with them. “I had been going to chapel services. I started going to church with my friends. God was using all of that to get my attention,” he said.
One night while sitting in his apartment, Garland knew it was time to make a decision. “I realized baseball couldn’t fulfill what I was needing, there had to be something more. I knew I had to make a change. That’s when I accepted Christ.”
Giving his life to Christ wasn’t the only big change that took place during his collegiate career. While returning home for the summer months, he met a girl named Amy and the couple started dating. After about six years of dating long distance, the couple married in January of 1997.
Garland went on to graduate from Faulkner in December of 1996 with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Physical Education. The following year, he moved to Bessemer, Ala., to take a job as an elementary P.E. teacher, as well as coaching middle school football and baseball. The couple also welcomed their child, Trevor, in November of 1998.
Because of their longing to be near their family again, the Garlands packed their bags in 2001 and came back home to Mayo. Not long after returning home, the couple welcomed their second child, Abby.
Garland has been a teacher in the Lafayette County schools for 19 years, and he has served as the head coach for the baseball team in 2002-04 and 2015-17 seasons; the head basketball coach from 2002-09; he has served as the head softball coach for 10 years; and has served as an assistant football coach for the last 15 years. Now, for the first time, Garland will step onto the field as the head football coach for the Hornets.
Garland believes he is equipped and ready for the position because of those who have paved the path for him. Garland’s father served as an assistant football coach and head baseball coach for 15 years. For 14 years, Garland served as an assistant to Joey Pearson, and one season under Mark Beach.
“I’m just trying to continue that great tradition,” he said. Garland credits the great success of the programs to the great people of the community who faithfully support the athletic program. “There’s great support in this community from the fans, and I have a great group of assistant coaches that are working hard. We want to give the people of this community a product they will be proud of.”
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, when the Hornets will get to take the field to play their first game is unknown. But whenever the opportunity comes, Garland said they’re ready to play and compete.
“I’m really excited and ready for the season,” he said. “Most of these kids didn’t get to play during the spring, so they’re really anxious to get back out and work. This year we have a young team, with only five seniors. I’m really excited for our team to keep the legacy going.”
Away from the field, Garland serves as the youth pastor at Airline Baptist Church in Mayo.