Longtime championship basketball & baseball coach at Hurricane High & North Pontotoc. Coach Hale is a native of Pontotoc who was selected Best All Around Athlete at Hurricane High. He is a graduate of Itawamba Junior College who earned degrees at Ole Miss and began his 30-year career at his alma mater at Hurricane in 1962. Zane led the Hurricane High girls basketball team to 5 district titles, 4 North State crowns, one 3rd place overall finish, one state runner-up finish, and 3 Class B State Championships in 1966, 1967, & 1971. He guided the Hurricane boys hoops team to 1969 tournament appearance and led the Hurricane baseball squad to a district title and Class B North State runner-up finish. Coach Hale coached the North Pontotoc girls basketball team to 5 district titles, 6 tournament appearances, 3 North State titles, and a 1972 state runner-up finish. He led the Vikings baseball team to 10 district titles. His girls hoops teams had an overall record of 664-331 out of 995 games while his boys basketball teams were 170-150. His baseball teams had a record of 374-171. Zane served as North Pontotoc athletic director for 21 years serving 225 students with a staff of 5 persons, a budget of $20,000 dollars, and a full schedule as a coach and teacher. He served as principal at Hurricane from 1967-71 while still coaching. He was named basketball Coach of the Year in 1971 by the MHSAA and was selected as Star Teacher in 1982 & 1989 and chosen as Pontotoc County’s Young Educator of the Year in 1965. Coach Hale was named to Outstanding Young Men of America in 1967, and was a two-time All Star coach in the boys and girls All-Star basketball games in 1969 & 1970. He has been active in the MHSAA as District President and member of the legislative body and served the MAC as a Board of Directors member and Chairman of Basketball Affairs. He was inducted into the North MS Coaches Association for Better Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994.