Coach James Obie Brown was a talented multi-sport coach who led football, basketball, baseball, and track programs at Mendenhall, Meridian, Southern Miss, and Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. James attended Harrison-Stone-Jackson AHS and Junior College from 1930 to 1934. He earned eight varsity letters in football, baseball, basketball, and track. He attended Harrison-Stone-Jackson Junior College which is now Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College from 1939 to 1942. In his first year in JUCO, he was selected to the state All-JUCO first team in basketball, and he was named the college’s best all-around athlete in his second year. He was a member of both the South Division and state championship baseball teams in 1931 and 1932 playing first base and right field. Coach Brown lettered at Southern Miss in football from 1932 to 1933 and then started his coaching career in 1934. He was head football coach at Mendenhall from 1936 to 1937. Coach Brown returned to Perkinston and from 1939 to 1942, he was assistant football, basketball, and track coach. He then coached at Meridian from 1943 to 1945. In his years as head football coach at five different high schools, he never had a losing season. He continued to coach football, basketball, baseball, and track. From 1951 until his retirement in 1979, Coach Brown served Natchez and Adams County as a school administrator. In addition to MAC Coaches Hall of Fame honors, Coach Brown was inducted into the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999. Coach Brown passed away on June 13, 2006.