It did not take long for former Kosciusko head baseball coach Derrik Boland to find a job.
After parting ways with Kosciusko only a couple of weeks ago, Boland was recently named the head baseball coach at Winona Christian, replacing Shannon Self who stepped down and will remain at the school as the head junior high football coach and high school defensive coordinator.
Boland led Kosciusko to the second round of the Class 4A playoffs this past season and brings a ton of experience to Winona Christian, boasting both high school and college experience. A Nettleton graduate, Boland played at Millsaps where he also started his coaching career. He was the head coach at St. Aloysius and head coach at Shades Mountain in Birmingham before being an assistant at Huntington College. He spent the last two years at Kosciusko.
“I’m excited about the opportunity. I think they have a really good thing going up there and I’m excited about the opportunity. I really like the family atmosphere and the way the coaches work with each other,” he said. “It seems like everything they do is about the kids. Just seeing their passion for the kids and the school, you can tell their heart is for the kids. I’m really excited to be a part of that.”
Self was the Winona Christian baseball coach for eight years and won the school’s only baseball state championship in 2017. Self said he told Athletics Director Junior Graham after the season that he would like to step down from baseball but wanted to give the school plenty of time to find a replacement. In addition to keeping his other coaching duties, Self will stay on at the school teaching his usual class load.
Self said it was “just time” to step down.
“It was just the right time. I wanted to go out on my own terms and never wanted to be fired. I just wanted to step back a little. I’m thankful for the school board and administration for allowing me to go out on my terms,” Self told The Star-Herald. “I’m really thankful for all of the players and parents who made the last eight years great and allowed us to accomplish something that has never been done at this school.”
