Page 103 - South Mississippi Living - November, 2015

Gary Bourgeois teaching his players the fundamentals of tennis. BELOW: Players learn strategy in “The War Room” and utilize the state-of- the-art video training equipment.
said. Many may have considered it
a serious step down from coaching WTA and ATP players on the world tour. MGCCC and Bourgeois,
though, had a vision for the future. Current MGCCC President Mary Graham promised Bourgeois that, if
he would be patient, she would see
to it that his team had a first-class facility in which to train and host competitions. The coach practiced
the aforementioned patience and,
in 2014, a Grand Opening was held
for that multi-million dollar facility on the Perkinston campus. The MGCCC tennis complex features eight courts, men’s and women’s locker rooms, coaching offices and what Bourgeois refers to as, “The War Room,” a meeting space with comfortable seating and state-of-the-art video training equipment.
Graham is of the opinion the school got the best of the bargain. “Coach Bourgeois has really taken our tennis program from what was essentially an immature one to a nationally ranked program in a very short time,” she said.
Perkinston campus Vice-President Ladd Taylor said Bourgeois’ input
was invaluable in the construction of the facility. “He advised us, not only on materials and things related to the courts themselves, but also on the ancillary items which make it such a truly world-class facility,” he said.
Dean of Athletics Bert Pickard has a great appreciation for the first-class ethos Bourgeois brings to the job. “Gary’s a really, really great coach,” he said. “Other programs look at him to learn how to do things.”
Pickard also recognizes the off-the- court qualities the coach brings to the campus. “He expects a lot from his players and he pushes them just as hard to be successful in the classroom as he does on the tennis courts,” he said.
The Gulf Coast can
likely expect more
success from MGCCC
tennis. Bourgeois knows
has what it takes to attract the top area players along with an occasional rising star on the international scene. “No one can touch us as far as a facility, as far as transportation and as far as high performance training,” Bourgeois said. “We are the class of the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges. It’s very important that Gulf Coast makes a huge impression on players, recruits and opponents.”
Recently, Bourgeois’ women’s
team swept the singles and doubles brackets at the Wilson/ITA Regional Championships in Meridian.
he
FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net November 2015 • SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living 103