Starkville Academy (MS) football parts ways with coach after 11 seasons

Starkville Academy (Miss.) football has had strong stability and familiarity at the head coaching position over the past decade, but on Monday decided the program needed to go in a new direction.

According to a report by the Starkville Daily News, the Volunteers have parted ways with longtime head coach Chase Nicholson after 11 years at the helm. Nicholson leaves Starkville Academy as the program’s all-time winningest head coach with a 89-45 record and is the only lead man to be at the school longer than 10 years.

“I’ve loved every kid that I’ve ever coached and taught at this school,” Nicholson said in the Starkville Daily News report. “I love Starkville Academy and the people that I’ve worked with for 17 years. I wish the program nothing but the best and I’m excited to see how our kids grow and develop in the coming years.”

BREAKING NEWS: Head football coach Chase Nicholson and Starkville Academy have parted ways after 11 years as the head coach and 17 years at the school.

Nicholson leaves as winningest coach in school history at 89-45 and the only coach in school history to coach 10 or more years pic.twitter.com/cuTHNjTvRT

— Robbie Faulk (@robbiefaulkSDN) March 23, 2026

Overall, Nicholson was at Starkville Academy for 17 years, 11 as the head coach and six as an assistant. During his time leading the Volunteers, Nicholson guided the program to multiple district championships and the team only had only below .500 campaign coming in 2024 when the team went 4-7.

Besides the one off season, Nicholson led one of Mississippi high school football’s top programs on an annual basis. Nicholson received high praise from Starkville Academy athletic director Brian Merkel, according to the report.

“His resume speaks for itself,” Merkel said to the Starkville Daily News of Nicholson. “When you look back 20 years or so and what he did at Starkville Academy, it’s really impressive. He hired me as a basketball coach when he was AD and I was really impressed with him initially and had such a great relationship with him in that role, too, but it’s everything else that he did that really stood out. The type of colleague, teacher and mentor he has been. He was a guy that loved Starkville Academy through and through. The school is going to miss his presence.”

The Volunteers this past 2025 season finished with a 7-5 record and as the No. 99 in the state, according to the final Mississippi 2025 High School Football Massey Rankings.

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