Kendall Lacey embraced his family with tears following Hattiesburg’s 47-27 win over Picayune in the Class 6A South State Championship game Friday night, sending the Tigers back to the state championship for the second year in a row.
The moment carried far more weight for him than just a win on the scoreboard.
It was validation.
“Throughout my career, I’ve had a lot of people tell me no to being a head coach,” Lacey said. “But Hattiesburg was the one place that said yes. So this means everything. I just pray I can bring home that first state championship for them.”
Just one season after taking over one of the Pine Belt’s most tradition-rich programs, Lacey has guided the Tigers back to Starkville in his debut campaign as a head coach. It is an incredible feat, especially considering how the season started. Hattiesburg lost to Petal in the opener in blowout fashion, slugged its way to a win in the Jug Game against Laurel, then was routed by Oak Grove to fall to 1-2.
Since then, Hattiesburg and Lacey haven’t even sniffed a loss, reeling off 10 straight wins by double digits. The Tigers are now one victory away from accomplishing something even legendary head coach Tony Vance never did — winning a state championship.
When Hattiesburg Public Schools announced Lacey’s hiring last winter, the move came with both optimism and uncertainty. He followed Hall of Fame coach Vance and inherited a program fresh off a State championship appearance but still searching for its first state title in over 100 years.
“It was tough at first, figuring out how to get over the hump,” Lacey said. “But now our kids are believing and buying in, and it’s hard to beat us right now.”
A native of Wetumpka, Ala., Lacey brought with him a résumé forged across Alabama, Georgia and beyond. After graduating from Wetumpka High School, he played at Shorter University, earned a degree in sports management and was named a permanent team captain in 2014. He later completed his master’s degree in secondary education at the University of North Alabama and is currently finishing his education specialist degree at Northern Kentucky University.
His coaching stops included Valdosta, Benjamin Russell, Dothan, Jefferson Davis and Prattville high schools, as well as Waldorf and Shorter universities. Along the way, he served as a defensive coordinator, assistant head coach, strength coach and defensive backs coach. He also guided championship-level programs in track and soccer.
But credentials alone do not win in the Pine Belt.
Players said everything changed when Lacey established his standard on Day 1.
“Everybody just bought in,” senior playmaker Davion Young said. “He came in with that energy back in February, and everybody was ready to work under him.”
Instead of splintering after the two early losses, the Tigers unified — and that belief fueled the run back to state.
“The biggest thing has been accountability,” Lacey said. “We had kids who pointed fingers at first, but now we take ownership. We make our adjustments and move on. We play hard, we play physical.”
That mentality reshaped how Hattiesburg played — and how it won.
The Tigers now play with a mentality built on selfless trust, all aligned with one goal they are one win away from reaching.
“Sometimes everybody can’t get the ball every night,” quarterback Gavin Ducksworth said. “Sometimes you have to sacrifice and let somebody else eat a little more than you can. That’s how we win.”
Beyond schemes and statistics, Lacey’s leadership is rooted in a deeper internal foundation.
“When a lot of people didn’t believe in me, my family always did,” Lacey said. “So it’s hard to hold your emotions when you know they’re celebrating a moment like this — me and my career. My family has always been the one steadfast thing that kept me grounded.”
That foundation has shaped how he leads.
Now, just one season into his tenure, he has placed Hattiesburg on the doorstep of school history.
That remains the final hurdle.
“We’re going to do what we do — practice hard, with intensity and intent,” Lacey said. “And hopefully the chips will fall in our favor and we’ll win our first state championship here.”
