Coach James Sloan was a superb football coach and athletic administrator at Tupelo who also coached at Shannon, W. P. Daniel in New Albany, Clinton, and at Copiah-Lincoln CC. He is a native of Shannon where he was All Tombigbee Conference quarterback. James lettered in football and baseball at Itawamba Junior College before receiving college degrees at Mississippi State, Ole Miss, and Mississippi College. He coached Clinton High to 4 North Little Dixie titles and 3 Little Dixie Championships. Coach Sloan led Tupelo High to North State titles in 1991 & 1992 and the 1992 Class 5A state championship. His gridiron teams compiled a mark of 214-102. James served as All-Star coach in the Bernard Blackwell All-Star Classic and the Mississippi Junior College All-Star games. He was selected as the first coach of the Mississippi team in the inaugural MS/AL All-Star game in Mobile, AL, in 1986. He was named Mississippi High School football Coach of the Year in 1992 by the Jackson Clarion Ledger and was honored with numerous coach and athletic director of the year awards by the MAC and other media outlets. Coach Sloan guided Tupelo High to the Clarion Ledger All-Sports Awards including the 2004 honor. He was inducted into the Itawamba CC Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993.