2007

') ~ I'\' ' -'"1 ~ {.A- I

-_) \ , u .. 'J os

WEEK OF

Chancellor credits EC for his success By Marty Stam per Appeal Sports Ed1tor "It \\US a great time for me there. As I think back, that's two of the most enjoy– able years I've had in my life.

constdered m)' -elf a htgh school coac~" Chancellor satd. "l'\e been very lucky. "I've got a lot ofgreat, warm feeli ngs for the Coaches' Association and J!SP~­ cially this group of people I'm going in with. I've got a little connection with them all, except for the oftball coach (Mack Fanning). ·•1 recruited Norns Ashley's players when I v.as at Ole Miss. Mtke Justice coached at my hometown in Louisville for a while, and I taught Jack French at one time at Noxapater. "It's truly a great honor. I'm excited about it." Earlier thts year; Chancellor resigned from the WNBA's Houston Comets, a team he led to that league's first four championships from 1997-2000. lt didn ·t take him long to resurface as women's basketball coach at LSU. Continued on B4... See ChanceUor...

"That prepared me, not only to coach but prepared me for life. Without East Centrfll, Van Chancellor wouldn't be where he is today, I can guarantee you that. "I loved my days there. I made so many friends. Still to this day, I've got a lot of friends that I made there. l moved to Baton Rouge and a boy that I went to school with shows up and he's my insur– ance agent. "I made a lot of friends there and they've lasted me a lifetime. It was just a \\ onderful expenence there." Chancellor JOms Mack Fanning, Jack French, Mike Justice, and Norris Ashley as the Cla::.s of 2007 inductees into the Mississippi Association of Coaches Hall of Fame in Jackson Friday night. "I started out at Noxapater High School and in my own heart, I've always

Van Chancellor has enjoyed tremen– dous success at every level of coaching basketball... htgh school, college, and professiOnal. Yet he credits Ius

tv. o year... at East Central Jumor College for making the many achievements he bas attained posstb1e. '·Without East Central Junior College. I would have never suntved,"' Chancellor said while

Van

Chancellor

touring Disney World last weekend. "l went to East Central and, thank God, Denver Brackeen gave. me a basketball scholarship or I couldn't have afforded to go.

Chancellor...

the 'I car three times. Chancdlor ''as prc1 wuc:;ly mducted mto the N:usmllh \f..:morial Bas~Ctliall lf:rtt-uf-t mne– and th~: \\'omen's Basketball Hall of Fame Yet 11 all began with t\\ o) cars as a mcmb~r of EC JC\ ba~ketball team. KnO\\ n for ht-. quid, '' 1L Chancellor ne1 cr -.:n s 11 \\:t'> h1s nth– letJc skil ls that got hn11 h1gh prai'>e at the Decatur school. If anything. it \\ ::ts the opposttc. " I \\as JUSt recently ,·otcd the greatest bench wam1er 111 East Central .lun10r College histor)," Chancellor quipped. ·Tm the 12th man on nn 11-man team But I learned:' lie tran~J..:rrcd to ~1•-;sls'>ippl State .. md dur– ing his scn1or year at M~L scncd as bo)s· ba"– kctball tQum at Noxapater 111gb School. l ie went on to coach boys' and girb' basketball at Hom Lake lligh School and Ilarrison Ccmral High Sd10ol pnor to hccommg \\omen's ba...- kctball coach at Ole :-..tb....

Contimu.'d from lB... "At the end of 10 }ear:>, I ju::.t tell hke I \\anted to go a ne\\ direction:· sa1J Chancellor. a nall\e of:-\.tnih \\a~a. In that I 0-) car span. the Comet~ went 211- 11 I and made nmc pia~ otT appcaranl:cs. He ''a~ named \\ 1"\ B \ C:oach of the Year three tunes.

l ie led the U S Olymp•c team to the gold medal in \then... m 200-t and ha... po~tcd a 38-0 ark in International competition as head A PPEARED IN c lach of the n1ted ~tales 01) mpic Team. Chancellor coached Ole \fis~ for 19 sea– sons. guidmg the Lady R..:hch to a 4W-t 54 CARTHAGINIJ record and 14 NCAA tounHII11t'llls. lie ranks I !th 111 career ''inning percentage among SCOTT COUN \\Omen's college t'oaches. Unda Chancellor. Ole ~1 •~s \\ On at lca~t 20 UNION APPEJ g. me" 15 umc r·~ 11a::. named Sf.C O>.~ch nf WINSTON COUNTY JOURNAL - - -– SPIRIT OF MORTON--------

CLARION-LEDGER------ OTHER _________________