Mississippi’s all-time winningest high school basketball coach will take one more lap this upcoming season before retirement.
Richard Duease, the longtime and legendary head coach of Madison-Ridgeland Academy boy’s basketball, will coach his last campaign in 2025-26.
The 2024 Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame inductee has compiled 1,851 wins across 50 years as a head coach at the prep level, complete with 41 state titles and 15 MAIS Overall tournament championships. Duease is the only coach in state history who has won overall titles in both boys (12 titles) and girls (three titles) basketball.
No one has won more games as a head coach in Mississippi, and only one active bench boss has more victories nationally.
“Coach Duease has been the face of boys basketball in the MAIS for so long. He’s been loved by MRA fans and hopefully, at least appreciated, by fans of our rivals,” MRA Athletic Director Ross Hailey said, noting that retirement celebrations for Duease will carry on throughout the entirety of his final season.
“A man who has loved and served a school for 44 years and an association for 51 years deserves a great send-off. Coach Duease will leave behind an unmatched legacy.”
The Indianola native’s career began as the head girls basketball coach at Yazoo City’s Manchester Academy in 1975. He coached four years at Manchester before being hired to lead both the girls and boys program at Lee Academy.
In 1982, one of the most decorated coaching tenures in U.S. history began when MRA handed Duease the keys. He coached both girls and boys programs until 2002, when he took over as the school’s athletic director and exclusive boys head coach.
Duease has been named MAIS Coach of the Year a remarkable 30 times. In year 51, he’ll look to end his storied career where he has spent most of it: on top.
