Coach Hugh McLaurin Pepper was a famed athlete and coach who was a longtime football coach at Ocean Springs High. He was born in Vaughn and was a two-sport athlete in football and baseball. He was an outstanding Little All American halfback at Southern Miss from 1952-53 who rushed for 100 yards or more in 7 different games. Hugh was also an ace pitcher for Southern Miss and signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates where he pitched in the major leagues from 1954 to 1957. He began his coaching career in 1962 at D’Iberville High and coached the Ocean Springs program from 1963 to 1992. Coach Pepper was inducted into the Southern Miss Athletic Hall of Fame in 1966 and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1977. He was named to the Southern Miss football Team of The Century in 2000.