Hall of Fame
There are a few names that come to mind when referring to Mississippi high school baseball coaching legends. Chris McMinn is one of those names.
A Class of 1992 alumnus of South Panola High School and the son of current Northwest Sports Hall of Famer Ronald McMinn, Chris McMinn played two seasons of baseball at Northwest from 1993-94, playing for Hall of Fame coaches Jim Miles and Donny Castle. During his sophomore season at Northwest, McMinn earned All-Region accolades, later attending Delta State University, where he graduated in 1997.
It was his time at Northwest that set McMinn up for the success he would have in the high school coaching ranks. He accepted his first job out of college at Horn Lake High School, where he served as an assistant baseball and boys' basketball coach for three years. In the fall of 2000, McMinn came back to Tate County as the head girls' basketball coach at Senatobia High School, where he also coached softball and assisted with baseball.
During his stint at SHS, McMinn led the Lady Warriors to a district championship and two runner-up finishes, while also guiding the softball program to three district titles.
McMinn's first stint at Magnolia Heights began in 2003, where he served as the assistant baseball coach until 2004, when DeSoto Central hired him as the head girls' basketball coach and head volleyball coach. A new school at the time, DeSoto Central finished as the runner-up in the state volleyball tournament and finished second in the district in girls' basketball, while also capturing third in the North Half Tournament and advancing to the semifinals of the state championship in Jackson.
McMinn returned to Magnolia Heights in 2005 as the school's head baseball coach, and the rest is history. In his first season, the Chiefs finished 29-3 and won the district title, sparking a dynasty that consisted of runner-up finishes in 2006, 2007 and 2010 and MAIS state titles in 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
In all, McMinn has guided the Chiefs' baseball program to 13 North State Championships and 14 district championships since 2006. He was also named Coach of the Year by the Clarion-Ledger in 2013 and has received MAIS Coach of the Year accolades 11 times since 2009.
For the 2022 season, McMinn was also named Regional and National Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association. In 2021, McMinn was inducted into the South Panola Sports Hall of Fame and in August 2023, he was also enshrined into the MAIS Coaches Hall of Fame.
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