HAZLEHURST – Girls slowpitch softball coach Lane Young willcontinue teaching at the Wesson Attendance Center but will nolonger be coaching, according to a mutual agreement reached Mondayafternoon between Young, his lawyer, Mike Taylor of Brookhaven, andthe Copiah County School Board.

The meeting, which lasted two hours and 35 minutes, was held inexecutive session in the Copiah County superintendent’s office.

Over 40 supporters of Young were on hand at the start of thesession, including Wesson softball players, parents, teachers andbusiness leaders.

“We are pleased with the board’s decision,” said Taylor afterthe meeting. “He (Young) was trusted by students and the faculty.Lane has decided to continue teaching at Wesson. The boardsupported Young.”

Young stated before the board and the supporters that it was hisdecision not to coach fastpitch softball in the spring and that hewanted to work on his master’s degree.

“They (board) gave me the option of staying in Wesson and notcoaching fastpitch,” said Young. “It was my decision not to coachfastpitch and work on my master’s degree.”

Several parents and players were visibly upset by the decision.Young coached Wesson’s slowpitch team to the Division 6-2Achampionship and a berth in the state playoffs this fall.

Last Thursday,Young received notice he was scheduled to betransferred to the Crystal Springs Middle School. Young and Taylorrequested to meet with the outgoing Superintendent of EducationDale Sullivan and the board during Monday’s scheduled session. NewSuperintendent Rickey Clopton was present but had no input in theproceedings because he had been not officially sworn into theoffice until after the end of the regular meeting.

Young will continue to teach three classes of comprehensivehealth, one class of high school physical education and one classof elementary education at Wesson.

“I would like to thank everyone that supported me,” Young saidafter the meeting. “The kids, the parents and some of theteachers.”

Young, the son of Copiah-Lincoln Community College athleticdirector and women’s basketball coach Gwyn Young, graduated fromCo-Lin with an A.A. in 1994 and Southern Miss with a B.S. in 1997.He is married to the former Audrey Monroe of Brookhaven.

Young coached the Lady Cobras in basketball for two seasons andslowpitch softball for three seasons. Young coached the slowpitchteam to a Division 6-2A title and to the second round of the stateplayoffs this season. He was also scheduled to coach the firstWesson fastpitch softball team this spring.

Young added, “God has a plan for all of us, and that is notcoaching full-time and getting my masters.”

Replacing Young last summer as basketball coach was ScottJohnson who was hired to coach girls varsity, and junior high boysand girls basketball. Wesson principal Billy O. Britt is coachingthe high school boys basketball team.