Senate Resolution 43

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING COACH BENJAMIN COYTE VANCE ON HIS INDUCTION INTO THE MISSISSIPPI COACHES ASSOCIATION HALL OF FAME AND ON HIS LIFE AND OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP AS A COACH AND MENTOR OF SEVERAL HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC TEAMS, AND AS A TEACHER AND PRINCIPAL IN VARIOUS MISSISSIPPI SCHOOLS.

WHEREAS, Coach "Red" Vance grew up in rural Newton County, and attended school in Conehatta, Mississippi, where the only competitive sport was basketball and the only practice court away from school was a hoop nailed to the front of the family car shed, and during these years he had very dedicated coaches who taught him the fundamentals, discipline and work ethics of the game of basketball so that he grew to love the game; and

WHEREAS, young Benjamin Vance was elected to various All-Tournament Teams and then to All-State Teams during his junior and senior high school years, and attended Mississippi State University on a basketball scholarship from the Fall of 1948 through the Spring of 1952; and

WHEREAS, during his years at Mississippi State University, he played ball with and against such players as Jo Jo Dean and Bob Pettit of Louisiana State University, and Cliff Hagan and Bob Cousey of Kentucky, causing the famous Kentucky Coach, Adolph Rupp, to name "Red" Vance as a member of the team he would least like to play against; and

WHEREAS, although Red Vance was rather short at 6'1" to play the center position, he played against athletes 6'4" to 7'1" and held the SEC free throw record during his senior year with 147 in 23 games, resulting in his being drafted by the Milwaukee Hawks Team in 1952; and

WHEREAS, Red Vance turned down the opportunity to play in a professional league, and chose to serve his country with the United States Air Force in Korea and Japan; and

WHEREAS, Coach Vance was discharged from the Air Force in 1954, and began his 47-year coaching and school administration career at Pelahatchie High School, and continued that coaching career for the next 11 years as a successful coach at Florence High School; and

WHEREAS, Red Vance interrupted his career again in 1967, and began a new career as Principal at Richland High School, serving in school administration for the next 20 years; and

WHEREAS, in 1986 he retired, but he was soon called back into coaching by the Mississippi Private School Association where he coached for the next 14 years; and

WHEREAS, during his long and distinguished coaching career, Coach Vance coached six girls All-Star Games, including the first Mississippi High School Activities Association Girls All-Star Game; and

WHEREAS, Coach Vance was honored as Coach of the Year for the Mississippi Private School Association for nine years, Coach of the Year for girls in the Little Dixie Conference for three years, made nine trips to State Tournaments in Public and Private Schools, won two Little Dixie Championships, one South State Championship, was four times Rankin County Tournament Winner in girls and three times in boys basketball; and

WHEREAS, Coach Vance has a win-loss record (including B Teams) of 1041 wins and 333 losses for a 75.7% winning record; and

WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we recognize this individual who has brought honor to and been an outstanding mentor to the youth of this community and state:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend and congratulate Benjamin Coyte Vance on being inducted into the Mississippi Coaches Association Hall of Fame, and express our warmest wishes for continued success in all his future endeavors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Coach Benjamin Coyte Vance and be made available to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.