One of the Coast’s most successful coaches explains why he is retiring after 20 years
After putting together one of the best runs for a high school head coach in any sport in Mississippi, Our Lady Academy volleyball coach Mike Meyers has decided to call it a career.
Meyers is stepping down after 20 years as the OLA head coach, he told the Sun Herald on Wednesday.
“I’m getting older,” said Meyers, who turns 69 on Sunday. “I’ve been doing this for 20 years. It’s just time to pass this on to someone else. I’ve enjoyed every bit of it. The future is bright for the program, but I’ve considered this the last three or four years. Now is the right time.”
OLA won the district championship in each of his 20 seasons and claimed 14 state titles, including the last eight. The Crescents played in the state title match 17 times under Meyers.
The OLA volleyball program doesn’t appear ready to slow down anytime soon, but Meyers felt like it was the right time to step down.
“It’s a very bittersweet decision,” he said. “It took a long time to pull the trigger. I will miss the girls and coaching, all of it. But I’ve got 5-year-old and 7-year-old grandsons. I was able to coach both of my daughters at OLA and I had a lot of fun doing that. It’s time to spend more time with them.”
Meyers, who informed his team last week of his decision, is proud of what he built at the girls-only Catholic school in Bay St. Louis.
“We’ve got a great tradition at OLA,” he said. “The girls bought in and worked hard. It’s hard for me step away, but the future is very bright and they’ll continue.”
Mike Meyers still willing to help if needed
While Meyers says he’s giving up his duties as a head coach, he indicated that he’d still be willing to help out if called on.
“I’m sure I’ll step in and help if someone asks me,” he said. “It’s just the day-to-day rigor that I’ve become weary with. I still love coaching and working with young people.”
OLA produced two Mississippi Gatorade Players of the Year during Meyers’ time — Brittany Corder and Emma Funk. After the 2019-20 season, Becca Walk, a South Alabama signee, was named to the MaxPreps All-American First Team.
Volleyball was still a young sport in Mississippi high schools when Meyers first took over the program at OLA, but it’s grown year by year with the Coast and North Mississippi turning into hotbeds for the sport.
“It’s been fun to watch volleyball grow in the state of Mississippi,” he said. “When I first started, there was one class for all schools. In the last 10 years, volleyball has grown the fastest of all the sports in the state. Next year, they will play for titles in six classes for volleyball. It’s been really fun to watch that grow.”
This story was originally published February 26, 2020 at 2:29 PM.
