SENATOBIA – Northwest Mississippi Community College has announced the hiring of Windham Whatley as the fifth Head Coach of the Ranger men's soccer program.

"I am excited to have Windham come take over the men's soccer program here at Northwest. He is coming from a successful program in the state, and I have no doubt he will have success here," Athletic Director Jake Gordon said.

Whatley said as an assistant coach and a former player in the MACCC, he always saw potential and opportunity in what NWCC presented to the visitor and he is excited to work to build that dream.

"Every time I get on Northwest's campus it's a good campus," Whatley said. "Doing the research and looking at what Dr. Michael Heindl is doing, and Athletic Director Jake Gordon are doing, it seems like a place to grow for me as a person and as a coach, and for this program to grow. It seems like Northwest has all the resources to take a program and go win some games and hopefully win a title."

Whatley joins the program after spending the last six years with the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College team, first as a volunteer assistant coach before becoming a full-time assistant in 2022. While there, he helped the Bulldogs to a 67-28-12 record and a national tournament appearance in 2024.

Whatley has also been coaching for the past five years with the South Mississippi soccer club as well as several other developmental roles he holds with the Hattiesburg Futbol Club's USL 2 team and with the Mississippi Olympic Development Program.

As a player, Whatley was a two-year captain for MGCCC as a player in 2016 and 2017, being named an MACJC All-Star after his sophomore season when he was also named United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American Honors. He went on to play with William Carey where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in physical education.

During his time in the sport across the state, Whatley says he know what type of team could be on the horizon for the Rangers.

"Northwest is kind of a sleeping giant," Whatley said. "The program gets overlooked and I will strive to turn this program into something that is to be dealt with in not just the North, but across the state. I feel like this could be the place to be over the next few years with the facilities that we have. "

Whatley says the first year to year and a half of work will be working on changing the stigma with recruits of what Northwest men's soccer is.

"I want to get kids in here that want to be good athletes and students and go through school for their degree and hopefully move on and while doing that win some soccer games. First, we have to change the culture of why kids come to Northwest and what is to be expected day in day out as a Ranger soccer player. Be recruiting kids that want to compete day in, day out, whether it's a game or taking a test, we want to be the best at everything we do," Whatley said.

Northwest men's soccer has been in search of a winning season since 2015 and have only won six games in a season twice in that ten-year span. They also have only finished with four or more MACCC win's three times in that stretch of seasons and have only had six winning seasons in the program's history, three of which were in its opening years.