South Panola, once one of the nation’s most prolific high school football programs, is looking to return to its former glory and has taken a positive step in doing so by hiring Michael Fair as its head coach.
Fair, who most recently served as the frontman at Grenada, led a successful three-year stint with the Chargers, where he posted an overall record of 32-9. His best year with the program was in 2024 when Grenada went 15-1 and won the 6A state championship, ousting a stout Hattiesburg team.
South Panola is bringing in Fair following the resignation of Brooks Oakley. The Tigers most recently suffered a one-point loss to Neshoba Central in the 2025 6A playoffs. No stranger to Batesville, Fair launched his football coaching career as an assistant at South Panola before later taking over at Lafayette, where he was immensely successful.
A program aiming to be back under the spotlight, South Panola has won a whopping 11 state championships and was crowned the national titleholder in 2010.
