Gulfport makes gold medal hire in Olympian Brittney Reese
Gulfport High School announced the hiring of Olympic gold medalist Brittney Reese as its newest girl’s track and field and cross country coach on Monday.
Reese graduated from GHS in 2004 before embarking on a career that included multiple NCAA championships and three Olympic medals.
“My whole process was that when I retired, I wanted to be able to come back (to Gulfport) and give back any way that I could,” Reese said at GHS’ track facility on Monday. “We want Gulfport to be back on top and I feel like I’m the perfect person to lead us in that direction.”
Reese won two outdoor long jump NCAA championships for Ole Miss before moving on to a stellar international career where she earned 11 medals on various world stages.
She won her Olympic gold medal with a 7.12 meter long jump at the 2012 London Olympics.
Reese is the first coaching hire for new GHS Athletic Director Matt Walters.
“The reasons you come to Gulfport High School is for the resources,” Walters said. “Resources aren’t always financial. I’ve always thought the best resource is people. When you have an Olympic gold medalist, a world champion, someone that excelled at Gulfport High School that wants to be a part of the program, it’s a no-brainer.”
It’s a major step toward an envisioned revamping of the program that includes brand new turf in the track complex and the launching of one of the only indoor track and field programs in the state.
Gulfport has not won a state championship in track since 1997 and Reese hopes to change that.
“When I was in school, everybody feared Gulfport High,” Reese said. “Everybody knew we were coming into town and when we came to town, everybody was nervous. We want to bring that back, especially on the track. (Gulfport) has had a great track program the last couple of years, but we can step it up a notch and be back to where everybody understands that Gulfport High is here and we’re here to win.”
On hand for her introductory press conference was her former track coach at GHS, Prince Jones.
“I’m just happy and grateful that she’s been given the opportunity,” Jones said. “I’m proud and happy for her and I know she’ll do a good job.”
The new track field will bear Jones’ name as part of a large-scale outdoor facilities upgrade the school has been undertaking.
The baseball and softball complex is already renovated, the track complex has new turf and the inner field has brand new turf on the way for the varsity football team to practice on. Nearby, seven state-of-the-art tennis courts are under construction, as well.
The new turf and tennis complex comes with a price tag of about $3 million, according to Walters.
Reese was approved by the school board on Monday evening.
Gulfport has also hired Richaud Floyd to run the boy’s track and field team and J.E. Lawrence as coach of the boy’s cross country team.
This story was originally published July 11, 2022 at 5:09 PM.
