A Coast coach explains why he is stepping away after two decades on the job
The Biloxi High School boys soccer team will have a new head coach for the first time in nearly two decades.
Randall Molsbee announced this week that he has decided to step down as the Indians’ head coach after 19 seasons, telling the Sun Herald that he simply felt it was the right time.
“I want to spend more time with family,” he said “I’ve been coaching soccer 23 years and I’m just taking time off to be with family and spend time with kids.”
Molsbee, who has led 19 teams to the playoffs during his coaching career, hated missing out on his own kids’ soccer teams while leading the Biloxi program.
“My son plays soccer as well and I had to explain to him why I had to attend other guys’ games, but I couldn’t go to his games,” he said. “My daughter is entering junior high. I’ll have more time to spend with family. I coach football as well. Between football and soccer, my family doesn’t get to see me much through the winter. There’s no break in between.”
Molsbee also coaches the seventh grade football team in the Biloxi School District.
At 45, he’s relatively young to move on after a couple of decades, but he’s confident that it’s the right decision.
“I think I’m kind of moving on (from soccer),” Molsbee said. “I can’t see myself going back. I hope the bug is out of my system, but I don’t think it will ever be completely. If there was ever a situation after my kids are done, maybe. I don’t want to coach my own kids. I want to be a parent, sit back and enjoy watching them play.”
Molsbee ‘comfortable’ leaving
Molsbee, who has a career record of 237-63, said he has received about 60 phone calls asking him why he’s stepping away.
“Any time a coach resigns, people ask, ‘Did you get fired?,’” he said. “Nothing like that happened at all. I was originally hired to coach football and track. At that time, the athletic director, Mike Battles, heard that I was a soccer coach. I had just gone to South State with the Bay High girls. He said, ‘I heard you are a soccer coach. I need someone to take over the program.’ We’ll look for a replacement if you don’t want to do it. Here I am, 20 years later.”
The Indians finished 10-8-2 in Molsbee’s final season, and he believes he leaves the program is in good standing.
“Whoever takes over the program is in a great situation,” he said. “We have a phenomenal group of ninth and 10th graders — a group that will be taking over the varsity. I’m leaving the team in a good situation. I’ve never felt more comfortable leaving a job. I worked on it for 20 years. They’ll inherit a program that’s fully functional and ready to go. That makes me happy.”
This story was originally published February 18, 2020 at 3:36 PM.
