North Panola High School officially introduced Derrick Bobo of Memphis as the new head football coach for the Cougars at an event on campus Monday.

Bobo comes to the Sardis school from Melrose HS in Memphis where he led the school to consecutive district championships.

“In looking at the film and evaluating the talent around here I really feel like I’m in a similar situation,” Bobo said. “Melrose is 4A and North Panola is 3A so it’s like an even playing field.”

The new coach is enthusiastic about the future of Cougar football, noting the outstanding community support the team receives.

“The undying love and support of this fan base and having a chance to have facilities that look better than the place I came from is personally exciting for me,” he said. “The opportunity to compete and win and make a difference in these young men’s lives is a dream come true.”

Bobo was born and raised in Memphis, and is a graduate of Whitehaven High School, where he also was a star football player and a part of the first state championship team in the school’s history. 

He went on to attend and play for The University of Memphis then transferred to Jackson State University. While at JSU he sustained his football career and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree. 

Bobo has coached at  Concordia University Ann Arbor in Michigan, at Whitehaven HS, Havenview Middle School, and then at Melrose High School, where he led that storied Memphis program to back-to-back district championships, receiving Coach of the Year two years in a row

He also led over 10 players in receiving scholarships to various colleges and universities.