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Jennifer Rigney, Public Information Officer
601.545.3002

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 29, 2024

PETAL, Miss. – The Petal School District Board of Trustees approved the hiring of Maggie Proffitt as the new girls basketball coach at Petal High School, effective school year 2024-25. Proffitt replaces Trista Whitman, who has taken a collegiate-level coaching position.

Proffitt most recently coached varsity and junior varsity at Hartfield Academy in Flowood. Prior to Hartfield, she served as an assistant coach at Mississippi College in Clinton and Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, AR. In 2017, she played professionally for the “Bender Baskets,” a German women’s league in Grunberg, Germany, where she was the fourth leading scorer and lead the division in three-point percentage and was second in three-point field goals per game.

“We are thrilled to have Maggie taking the reins of our girls basketball program,” said Wendy Hogue, director of activities. “She’s very passionate about basketball, but more importantly, she’s passionate about empowering our girls with the skills and attitude to succeed in the classroom, community and in life.”

Proffitt earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology at the University of Central Arkansas and a master’s in sports administration from Mississippi College. While playing at Central Arkansas, her team earned back-to-back automatic bids for the program’s first D-1 NCAA tournaments; she earned the status of career leader for three-point field goals and ranks second in UCA’s history in scoring.

“I am honored and excited to join Petal High School as the new girls basketball coach,” said Proffitt. “The opportunity to work with such a great group of girls and contribute to their growth both on and off the court is something that I am looking forward to. By building relationships and creating a positive and competitive environment, I hope to help mold young women of character and encourage them to strive for success in all areas of their lives,” Proffitt said.

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