Current head coach of the Hattiesburg High varsity girl’s basketball team, Coronica DeBose-Jackson, is a Hattiesburg High Alumni Class of 1993. Coach DeBose-Jackson continued her education and basketball career at Pearl River Community College, where she was an MJCAA 1994 State Championship team member. She continued her education at LSU, serving as the Lady Tiger basketball team manager from 1995 to 1998 under the late Legendary Coach Sue Gunter.
Coach DeBose-Jackson returned to Hattiesburg Public Schools as an educator and Jr. High basketball coach in 2002. In 2005, she took over the reign of the varsity girls’ basketball program. Under her leadership, the program has won 6 district tournament championships and made its first-ever MHSAA tournament appearance in 2008.
Since, the Lady Tiger basketball team has made 7 MHSAA tournament appearances, which included a South State Championship in 2012, 2 Final Fours, 2 State Runners-up, and the 1st ever State championship by any female team at Hattiesburg High School in 2018. Coach Jackson reached her milestone 200th victory in her 10th season and 300th victory in her 15th season, all at Hattiesburg High. She is also a 4-time Hattiesburg American Coach of the Year and this 2018 PineBelt Sports Coach of the Year, and she is a 4-time District 7-5A Coach of the Year.