Coach Hartwell McPhail had a distinguished coaching career guiding football programs at Brookhaven, Greenwood, Greenville, and Mississippi College. A native of Lincoln County, Hartwell was a multi-sport athlete and graduated from Mississippi College in 1941. He would later earn additional college degrees from Alabama and Southern Miss. He served in the U. S. Navy during World War II and received five battle stars. Coach McPhail began his 24-year coaching career in 1947 at Brookhaven High where he guided his football teams to a record of 29-10-2. He moved north to Greenwood in 1951 and led Greenwood High to a mark of 18-11-1 before departing for Greenville in 1954. Hartwell led the Greenville Hornets to a superb five-year run with a record of 38 wins, 12 losses, and 2 ties plus two Big Eight state championships in 1957 and 1958 that included two undefeated seasons. For his efforts, Coach McPhail was named Big Eight Coach of the Year in 1957 and he also coached in the 1953 Bernard Blackwell All-Star Football Classic. In 1959, he was named head coach at Mississippi College and guided the Choctaws until 1971 compiling a record of 60 wins, 50 losses and 5 ties. Harwell’s finest season at MC was in 1961 when his team finished 8-1 with 4 consecutive shutouts to open the season. In 1963, he brought his Choctaw team to Mexico City to play the University of Mexico, only to have the game cancelled two hours prior to kickoff due to the assassination of President John Kennedy. His overall high school coaching record was 56 wins, 27 losses, and 5 ties. Hartwell remained at MC as a professor and Chairman of the Health and Physical Education & Recreation program until he retired in 1985. A longtime MAC member, Coach McPhail served a stint as executive secretary. In addition to MAC Coaches Hall of Fame Membership, Coach McPhail was inducted into the Mississippi College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984 and received the school’s Order of the Golden Arrow in 2003. Coach McPhail passed away on May 5, 2004.