Don Edwards enters his 32nd season as the head women’s basketball coach at Northwest entering the 2018-19 season.
After joining the Northwest staff in 1983 and serving as assistant coach for men’s and women’s basketball for four seasons under the late Harry Adair, Edwards became head women’s coach in 1987.
During his tenure as head coach, Edwards has led the Lady Rangers to 18 NJCAA Region XXIII and three NJCAA National Tournament Appearances as well as a pair of MACJC championships in 1995 and 1996. His career record at Northwest stands at 460-321 (.589), posting 23 winning seasons overall and four seasons with 20 or more wins. He's also 227-155 (.594) in north division play.
With all his success, Edwards has received numerous Coach of the Year recognition. He was named Region XXIII and District 16 Coach of the Year in 1990, 1996, 1998 and 2005, MACJC Coach of the Year in 1989 and 1990 and was MAC Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year in 1990, 1995 and 1996.
Northwest finished 13-11 overall and 8-4 in division play a year ago, clinching spots in both the MACJC and Region 23 Tournaments. Edwards led the Lady Rangers to a 16-6 overall mark and a 9-3 record in 2015-16 as Northwest earned its first national ranking since 1999-2000 at 25th in the NJCAA.
Edwards led the Lady Rangers to a fifth north division crown during the 2012-13 season, finishing with an 18-7 overall record and 9-3 mark in the division. The 18 wins was the most for Northwest in eight seasons.
A total of 31 Lady Rangers have gone on to play at four-year schools since 2004-05, including Averyale Joy (Freed-Hardeman), Destiny Gardner (North Alabama), Janesha Johnson (University of Charleston), Kelsey Brown (Belhaven University), Aspriona Gilbert (Delta State), Jacquelyn Brooks (Delta State), Bethany Lytle (Union University) and Sara Lytle (Union University) from the past four seasons.
Not only have the Lady Rangers performed on the court, but they have done it off the court as well. Northwest posted a 3.15 team GPA last year and 3.20 GPA during the 2015-16 academic year to be recognized as an All-Academic team by both the MACJC and NJCAA.
Edwards also coached the men's golf team for 23 years at Northwest before the program was discontinued following the 2016-17 season.
A two-time MACJC Golf Coach of the Year selection, Edwards kept the Northwest golf program competitive season after season, with at least one golfer competing in the NJCAA Division II National Tournament in 11 of the final 17 seasons and the program being nationally-ranked the final six seasons.
Edwards came to Northwest from West Panola Academy at Batesville where he served as the boys’ and girls’ basketball coach, golf coach and athletic director for eight years. Named Coach of the Year a total of six times, he coached in two academy All-Star games.
His record as a high school coach was 246-56 with girls and 162-82 for boys. Edwards’ girls’ teams finished in the top four in the state for six years, capturing the championship three times. Before arriving at West Panola Academy, Edwards worked at Quitman County High School where he was athletic director, basketball and football coach and driver’s education instructor.
After attending Northwest for two years, Edwards transferred to Delta State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education in 1973. He also holds an M.Ed. in administration and supervision from Delta State University.
Married to the former Angie Brock of Pleasant Grove, Edwards and his wife have two sons, Drew and Ross.
