Friday night, five legendary state sports figures will be inducted into the Mississippi Association of Coaches Hall of Fame.

The induction ceremony and awards banquet will be held at 6 p.m. at the Hilton Hotel in Jackson and is sponsored by BankPlus.  After Friday’s ceremony 227 members will have been immortalized in the MAC Coaches Hall of Fame.

Its newest members are Kenneth Beesley, Herman Sanders,  Gina Skelton,  Larry Weems and Ricky Woods.

Beesley served as baseball and football coach at Natchez Cathedral High for 36 years. In that time  he won two state baseball titles. Sanders has coached track, football, baseball and boy’s basketball during his 36-year career and captured one title in basketball and three in girls’ track.

Coach Skelton’s 35-year tenure includes four girl’s basketball titles and five individual cross country champions. She has also been named Coach of the Year 19 times.

Coach Larry Weems was  at the helm of the  three state title teams — one at Jackson Prep, and two at Meridian — over his 39-year career. His overall football record stands at 164-74, giving Weems a 69 percent winning percentage.

Head coach Ricky Woods was at the helm of the powerhouse that was South Panola in the early 2000s.

Overall, he has won eight state titles with an overall record of 284-63. Woods was also named the Clarion-Ledger Coach of the Decade for the span of 2000 to 2010.

Contact the MAC offices at 601-924-3020 for more information about the banquet, including ticket sales.