OCEAN SPRINGS — Collin Goley is going back home.
The former Ocean Springs High School basketball standout is now the head coach of his alma mater after recently replacing Matt Noblitt at the helm of the Greyhounds boys’ basketball team.
Goley, a 2008 OSHS graduate. comes to OSHS after serving in the same capacity at Hancock High School for the past three seasons as the head coach of the Hawks.
“I was happy at Hancock and I enjoyed my time there and all of the people I worked with,” Goley told 228Sports. “But Ocean Springs is home. And coaching at Ocean Springs was always something I thought of being able to do when I began my coaching career. Thankfully, I have that chance now.”
Goley leaves a Class 6A for a team that is transitioning from that same Class 6A into the newly implemented Class 7A. The Greyhounds will join St. Martin, D’Iberville, Biloxi, Gulfport and Harrison Central in the newly formed Region 6-7A as the Mississippi High School Activities Association expands to seven classifications for the first time in the history of the organization.
Goley’s Hancock squads have competed in Region with GHS, BHS and HCHS in Region 8-6A over the past several seasons and they also faced OSHS, SMHS and DHS in the regular season last year as well. Goley came to the Kiln after serving for three seasons as an assistant coach with the Petal boys program. The University of South Alabama graduate started his coaching career with the OSHS ninth-grade team in 2014.
“There are pros and cons of going to 7A, but it’ll be up to us to make the best of it,” Goley added. “We’re familiar with all of the competition in our region, so that should help. We just have to look at it like there are 23 other teams in Class 7A that we are competing for the state championship against.”
Goley replaces Noblitt after the latter guided the Greyhounds to 16-10 mark and second-seed slot in Region 7-6A last season and into the first round of the Class 6A South State playoffs. Ocean Springs saw its season come to an end with a home loss to Meridian to open the state playoffs. Noblitt just completed his sixth season as head coach of the Greyhounds. The Greyhounds have two of their top performers from last season returning in Elijah Isom and Maddox Noblitt, coach Noblitt’s nephew.
Goley’s Hawks were 12-17 last season and finished fourth in Region 8-6A behind Biloxi, Gulfport and Harrison Central.
“Coach Noblitt did a great job here and he helped build this program to a high level,” Goley concluded. “They won a district championship in 2018, the first one in like 15 years. That’s what our goal is, to keep the program successful and get back to winning titles. ‘Build the Banner’ is what we’re saying.
“Ocean Springs is the best school district in the state. Our job is to be one of the best basketball teams in the state as well.”
