By By Austin Bishop/EMG regional sports director
Feb. 11, 2002
Meridian High School's new football coach is no stranger to winning.
Ed Stanley, who was announced as MHS' new football boss at a Monday morning press conference, brings a 90-26 career record to his new job. Among those victories is a state title he claimed during his eight-year stint at South Panola High School.
Stanley replaces Bill Sartin, who resigned his job as MHS head football coach following the 2001 season.
After eight years as a head coach of a Class 5A football program, Stanley said it was important to him to remain as a coach in Mississippi's highest level.
Stanley, 43, was an assistant coach at South Panola in 1992 and 1993 under the legendary Willis Wright.
In his first year as the head man of the program South Panola went 10-2 in 1994. In 1996 and 1997 South Panola finished the year at 14-1, losing in the finals to Moss Point both seasons.
In 1998, Stanley's squad also went 14-1, but this time beat Hattiesburg to win the Class 5A title.
In nine seasons as a head coach, including a 6-5 stint at Kossuth in 1991, Stanley has only had one losing season, that coming last year when South Panola finished 5-6 and failed to make the playoffs.
The 43-year-old Stanley was an assistant coach for Bobby Hall at Louisville High School in 1990, before taking the Kossuth head coaching job.