Coach Nevil Barr led winning football programs at Sumrall, Petal, Oak Grove, and Elkins High School in West Virginia. Coach Barr is a native of Magee who graduated from Purvis High School where he lettered in football and basketball and played wide receiver at Southern Miss. He was a two-year letterman at USM where he earned his college degrees in 1975 and 1977. Nevil started his 40 year coaching career at Vancleave where he was an assistant football coach under Coach Alton Waltman, and helped the team to a 29-9 mark in four seasons. He moved to Elkins High in West Virginia in 1978 where he worked as an assistant and head coach until 1986. Coach Barr returned to the Magnolia State to take over the Sumrall gridiron program from 1987 to 1989; in his 2nd year, his team earned a 12-1 record and lost by one point in the South State Finals. He guided the Petal football team to 81 wins in 12 seasons including championships int eh 1993 and 1996 Shrimp Bowls. In 2001, he took over a downtrodden Oak Grove football program and led the Warriors to the playoffs in his first season. In his second year at the school, he paced Oak Grove to the Class 5A South State Championship game and in his third season, he led the Warriors to the State Championship game. In his 14 years at Oak Grove, he coached the Warriors to 4 South State titles (2 Class 5A and 2 Class 6A) and the 2013 Class 6A State Championship. His 2013 Warrior squad finished 14-1 and was ranked 25th in the nation by MaxPreps. Overall, he led his football teams to a record of 260 wins and 120 losses including his record at Oak Grove which was 146 wins and 41 losses. He led his teams to 19 playoff appearances including 11 South State title games. He coached 4 teams that finished the regular season undefeated including 2 at Oak Grove, 1 at Petal, and 1 at Sumrall. Coach Barr was a 6-time coach of the year honorr by WDAM TV (1988, 1994, 2001), the Hattiesburg American (1988, 2001), and the Jackson Clarion Ledger (2013). He received the Martin Luther King Humanitarian and Leadership Award in 2009, and the President Gerald Ford All-American Coach Award in 2010.