PASS CHRISTIAN — Caroline Lumpkin is the new head girls’ basketball coach at Pass Christian High.
Lumpkin, who comes to the Lady Pirate program from Bay high where she served as an assistant coach under Kelton Thompson last year, was approved last month for the post by the Pass Christian School Board of Trustees. She fills the vacancy left by former head coach Greta Ainsworth.
“I am so thankful and excited for this opportunity and ready to get to work with the Lady Pirates,” Lumpkin, a former standout player at Pearl River Central High School, said. “I know Coach Ainsworth has set the precedent of what being a Lady Pirate basketball player is all about, and I am looking forward to continuing and growing that tradition.”
Lumpkin came to the coast a few seasons ago and served as an assistant coach at St. Martin High before moving down U.S. Hightway 90 to Bay High.
Upon completing her career in Carriere, Lumpkin went on to play basketball at Copiah Lincoln Community College. Lumpkin and her team won the 2013 MACJC State Championship where she was able to play for one of the winningest active juco coaches across the nation, Gywn Young.
After leaving Wesson, Lumpkin finished out her playing career at William Carey University and then launched her coaching career in Hattiesburg following a few health setbacks. Lumpkin was student-assistant for a year at William Carey during the 2017-18 season.
During the 2018-19 season, Pearl River Community College hired Lumpkin to the coaching staff. For two years, she worked under PRCC Head Women’s Basketball Coach Scotty Fletcher where the Lady Wildcats went to the MACJC Tournament and Region XXIII Tournament both years.
Lumpkin made the transition to high school with St. Martin in Ocean Springs before joining Bay High Girls Basketball Staff last year under Head Coach Kelton Thompson.
“Basketball has always been a part of me, it runs in my veins. I remember the first time my PawPaw started teaching me how to shoot and since then I have loved the game,” Lumpkin added. “I have learned quite a bit this past year under Kelton Thompson who is a mastermind at the game of basketball,” expressed Lumpkin. “I’ve been thankful to learn from him and be a part of Bay High Basketball.”
Ainsworth stepped away after 14 years at Pass Christian High School as the girls’ basketball coach, leading the Lady Pirates as they made it to the sweet 16 twelve times, won six district championships and played in the elite 8 three times including last season and earned a berth in the state tournament twice in that span.
Hunter Dawkins of the Gazebo Gazette was responsible for most of this report.
