Pearl River celebrated another Homecoming when the school announced the hire of Wildcat alum Seth Smith to lead its football program ahead of the 2020 season.

In a truncated 2020 season, the Wildcats finished 2-4 and featured the top rushing attack in the MACCC. The Wildcats racked up 1223 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.

The 2021 season saw PRCC again finish with the top rushing attack in the state, averaging 229.9 yards per game and scoring 17 touchdowns.

In 2022, Smith's Wildcats saw tremendous improvement, finishing 6-3 and narrowly missing out on the MACCC playoffs. The six-win season was the first for Pearl River since 2010 and included an victory over rival Gulf Coast in the 100th all-time meeting. The Wildcat defense ranked first in the MACCC and sixth nationally in points allowed per game.

Smith took over the Wildcats after seven seasons leading East Central High School.

Smith grew up 15 minutes from campus in Millard, Mississippi and is a proud native of the Sones Chapel community. He starred at Pearl River Central High before signing with PRCC.  

When Smith signed with Pearl River in the spring of 1999, the state’s districts were still closed. Luckily, Smith was offered by then-Wildcat coach Keith Daniels as a quarterback. As Smith explains, he soon found his calling on the opposite side of the ball after PRCC hired coach Scott Maxfield.

During his time playing for Daniels and Maxfield, Smith saw firsthand what the Wildcats were capable of achieving.

Smith got his coaching start at Picayune from 2004-08, where he coached running backs and defensive backs before taking over as defensive coordinator. He spent the next four seasons at PRC as the DC.

Then in 2013, Smith got the chance to build his own program at East Central. The Hornets took their lumps early on, but Smith molded ECHS into a perennial contender. The team made its first playoff appearance in 12 years in 2014. The Hornets proceeded to win their first playoff game and then first second round victory in ’15 and ’16. 

The following season was one for the ages as the Hornets had an undefeated regular season and advanced all the way to the MHSAA Class 4A State Championship game. ECHS played for a South State title again in 2018. This year, despite moving up a classification to 5A, the Hornets still made the playoffs.

During his seven seasons in Hurley, Smith compiled a 53-34 record, including 13-1 and 12-1 marks in ’17 and ’18.

During his time at ECHS, Smith built relationships with the Coast’s top coaches as well as college recruiters from throughout the Southeast. 

He also fostered a relationship with the community. 

As a native son of Pearl River County, Smith realizes the importance of doing the same thing at PRCC.

FAMILY
Seth and his wife, Devin, were high school sweethearts who attended The River together, with Seth playing football and Devin cheering. They have four children, Tucker, Tyke, Titan and Trac.

Smith holds an associate degree in General Studies from PRCC, a bachelor’s degree in Coaching/Administration from Southern Miss and a master’s in Secondary Education from William Carey. 

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