After two solid years heading up the program at McAdams High School, veteran football coach Jim Risen is leaving the Attala County school to take the head coaching job at Riverside High School in Washington County.
While excited about his new task, Risen has fond memories of his time leading the Bulldogs.
“It was a great learning experience for them and me,” Risen said of the teams he coached. “Overall it was a superb experience. I am leaving behind a great deal of athletes who learned how to win and compete.
“It was an extraordinary task,” Risen said of taking over the McAdams program two years ago. “The had been on such a long drought. The athletic potential was there, I saw that. Over time I saw the confidence come around as well.”
In Risen’s two years at McAdams the Bulldogs went a combined 10-12 and earned a spot in the MHSAA Class 1A State Football playoffs last season.
Risen said both he and his Bulldogs learned some valuable lessons.
“The main thing is the perseverance,” he said. “Never give up and make sure you are prepared. You have to be ready for anything — the highs and the lows.”
The 51-year-old Risen said he was excited about his new position at Riverside, a Class 2A school.
“There are a lot of kids who are not playing that I am going to recruit and try to get out,” he said. “I want to get them in the weight room this summer. They have not had a very good off-season program.”
