Northeast CC/Tony Finch/Matt Wyatt
Northeast Mississippi Community College head football coach Andy Greening announced his retirement on Wednesday, June 4, after serving on the Northeast coaching staff for the past 10 years.
“This was a tough decision,” said Greening. “I love Northeast. I went to school here, played ball here, and coached here for ten years. It’s a bitter-sweet deal because I’m looking forward to retirement here in Mississippi, and towards new challenges.”
Under head coach Andy Greening the Northeast Tigers won Mississippi Association of Community/Junior Colleges (MACJC) North Division titles in three of the last six seasons (2002, 2004, 2005).
In 2007, Greening’s Northeast Tigers managed just two wins after finishing fourth in the Mississippi Association of Community/Junior College’s North Division in 2006. In the Katrina-shortened 2005 season Greening led his Tigers to the only undefeated regular season in school history (7-0), to a national ranking as high as number two, and to the Pilgrim’s Pride Bowl Classic in Mount Pleasant, Texas, the first-ever bowl appearance for a Tiger football team. In 2005 both the offense and defense ranked in the top 20 in the country at season’s end and 17 players from the ’05 squad signed with four-year schools. Recently, three players from Greening’s ’05 Tigers squad signed free-agent contracts with NFL teams following the 2008 NFL draft: Chris Bradwell with Tampa Bay, Bruce Hall with Buffalo, and Justin Sanders with Detroit.
“Andy has been a major part of the great success our football program has experienced in the last decade,” said NEMCC athletic director Ricky Ford. “We’re so thankful to him for his years of service here at Northeast, and we wish him well in his retirement, and future endeavors.” As for Greening’s replacement, Ford hopes the search can be concluded quickly. “We’ve already begun our search for a new head football coach,” said the Northeast athletic director, “and we hope to have someone in place as quickly as possible.”
The twelfth head football coach in school history, Greening came to Northeast in 1998 as defensive coordinator on Coach Laurin Collins’ staff. He served in the same capacity for two seasons under Bobby Hall before taking over as head coach in 2003. Greening’s record as head coach of the Northeast Tigers now stands at 19-18.
A Corinth native, Coach Greening was a successful head coach at Booneville High School, leading the Blue Devils to the Division 1-2A playoffs in 1988 and to the North Half finals in ’89. After leaving Booneville, Coach Greening succeeded as head coach at Amory High School where he led the Panthers to the Division 1-3A title and a berth in the North Half finals in 1990.
Prior to coming to Northeast, Coach Greening was head coach at Alcorn Central High School from 1993-1997.
Coach Greening attended Northeast and played football for the legendary Coach Bill Ward. He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Mississippi State University in health and physical education. He earned a master’s degree from MSU in 1984. He became certified to work as a school administrator in 1992.
