After six seasons leading the Senatobia High School football program, head coach Brooks Oakley will find himself on a different sideline next fall.
Last Thursday, it was announced by the South Panola School District that Oakley had been chosen as the next head coach of the storied Tigers’ football program. He replaces legendary coach Ricky Woods, who announced his retirement a week prior to Oakley’s appointment.
A Senatobia native, Oakley has been part of a storied coaching family centered around the SHS and Tate County community, as profiled in the Tate Record last winter. He attended Ole Miss following his graduation from Senatobia High School, receiving his Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education.
While at Ole Miss, Oakley served as a student assistant for the Rebels’ football program and later began his coaching career as the quarterbacks coach at Olive Branch High School.
From there, Oakley’s coaching career took him to Itawamba Agricultural High School and later to Starkville High School, where he served six seasons as the Yellow Jackets’ defensive coordinator. During that span, Oakley helped Starkville to a pair of Class 6A state championships, as well as three North Half titles.
Oakley’s stint as the head coach at Senatobia marked a return home and helped the Warriors continue a return to prominence. Oakley arrived at SHS replacing Michael Fair, who helped the Warriors to a pair of successful seasons from 2014-15 before taking the head coaching gig at Lafayette High School.
Oakley’s Warriors never missed a beat during the transition, making the playoffs in all six seasons and claiming three region championships in classes 3A and 4A. The 2021 season proved to be the most successful yet, as Oakley surpassed 50 career victories while helping SHS to the Class 4A North Half title. As a result, Senatobia made its first state championship appearance since 2004, falling just short to Columbia and finishing the season with a 12-3 overall record.
“The District is proud to welcome Coach Oakley and his family to South Panola,” SPSD Superintendent Tim Wilder said. “He was a proven track record of success and we feel confident that he will be a strong leader for the Tigers, and a great addition to the legacy of South Panola football.”
More updates on the Senatobia coaching search will provided when available.
