Meridian announces a new girls basketball coach

MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) - The Lady Cats basketball program has officially named their new head coach.

Former assistant boys coach, Tre Collins will take over as the head coach of the Meridian girls basketball team. This is Coach Collin’s first official head coaching position.

Stepping in after head coach Deneisha Faulkner who has been there for the last 6 years and led the Lady Cats to their first state championship in school history, Coach Collins says he knows he has big shoes to fill but he is ready to get to work. Collins said he feels like Coach Faulkner laid the groundwork and he wants this program to continue to succeed.

Coach Collins shared his initial thoughts when he found out he would be the new head coach.

“Well to be honest with you, I was really speechless. I really didn’t have much to say other than wow and thank you because I am very excited to be remaining in Meridian. This is where my heart is. I’ve told people, I’ve told my mentors, I’ve told people who I’ve talked to about this job, I believe that I can enjoy my job wherever I go coaching basketball, it’s my passion, but it’s a special thing to be in a place where you can enjoy where you are at. Just the relationships I have with the people here, whether it be admin to staff, staff to staff and staff to student-athlete is and even admin to student-athlete, the relationships here are second to none, second to none,” said Collins.

Coach Collins did formally meet with the girls today to talk about their goals as a team for next season.

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