CLINTON – Batesville resident coach Richard Russo has been selected to be on the North coaching staff of the Mississippi Association of Coaches Bernard Blackwell North versus South All-Star game to be held in Biloxi on December 20 at noon.

Russo is currently the head football coach and athletic director at Independence High School where he just completed his first year, but his 13th overall. 

During the past year, the Wildcats ended the school’s 27-game losing streak and four-year playoff drought. This spring, the Wildcats have fielded the largest team in school history. 

Prior to coaching at Independence, Russo had stints at Water Valley High School, North Delta School, and Bruce High School.

 He also served in the inaugural Northeast Mississippi East versus West All-Star Game last May.

Russo was selected by a vote by the M.A.C. Board of Directors in April. He joins coach Derrick Hooker of South Delta, who will serve as the North head coach. Other coaches on the staff will be coach James Ray of Bruce, coach Ben Ashley of Amory, coach Edwin Norwood of Rosa Fort, coach Randall Montgomery of Columbus, coach Josh Morgan of Warren Central, and coach KePatrick Barnes of South Delta.

“I am extremely excited to have been entrusted with this honor and blessing,” Russo said. “To get to coach some of the best athletes from across the state will be amazing and to coach alongside some of the best head coaches in the state will be an experience I will not forget.

“I take this responsibility very seriously and take with me in my mind and heart my family, our assistant coaches, our Wildcat Football family, our fans, and everyone back home,” he continued. “This honor is a testament to a lot of hard work and dedication to build a tremendous foundation in rebuilding our program. Also, I am thrilled to have an opportunity to coach on television; I have never done that before.” 

The game will be broadcast statewide on various television stations including WCBI out of Columbus.