A legendary Coast coach explains why she stepped away after 27 years on the job
For the first time in almost three decades, Debbie Triplett is no longer leading the Bay High girls basketball program.
Triplett resigned on Nov. 26 after 27 seasons of leading the Tigers and 42 years as a high school coach.
The 2019-20 season was only about three weeks old when the 64-year-old coach decided it was time to walk away.
“It just got to where it wasn’t fun anymore,” Triplett said. “I don’t think I was being very effective. I was starting to have some health issues and my doctor told me I needed to get rid of the stress. I rode off into the sunset.”
Triplett was one of the Coast’s most successful coaches during her career in any sport, winning three state championships and producing plenty of Division I college athletes.
“Her contributions to our school district, athletic department and community can never be measured,” Bay-Waveland athletic director Monty Noblitt said. “Before she got here, our program had lost almost two seasons worth of games in a row.”
Assistant coach Sara Taylor has taken over as the interim head coach for Bay High, which is 2-5 according to MaxPreps.
Helping players prepare for life after basketball
Triplett, who coached at Hancock before she took the Bay High job, plans to enjoy life in retirement.
“I already feel much more relaxed,” she said. “I was always afraid I’d end up making the decision to retire and regretting it. I knew it was time. I feel more comfortable and I’m at peace with it.
“I have a lot of stuff to do around the house that hasn’t been done in 40 years. I love horseback riding and trail riding. That was my second passion besides coaching, my horses. I intend to do a lot of that over the next year.”
Former Vanderbilt and Bay High standout Christa Reed spoke last year about how Triplett helped her grow as a player.
“I was able to develop under coach Debbie Triplett at Bay High,” Reed said in 2018. “She cares about her players. She taught me a lot about the game. Whenever we have breaks, I always go back to the school and work out with the players. I want to keep my presence there.”
Triplett left behind a legacy of winning basketball at Bay High.
“The wins and the championships were great,” she said. “I feel very blessed for all that, but the most important thing was how I affected those kids. Hopefully, I made them better and helped prepare them for life after basketball. That was always the main thing. I always got the most satisfaction when they’d come back and say, ‘Thanks coach.’ To see what some of them have become, how they’ve matured in in their life and what they’re doing now, that’s what made the difference.”
This story was originally published December 17, 2019 at 11:55 AM.
