The Millsaps football program has a bevy of history behind it. From two decades of dominance ranging from 1968-88 under the field’s eventual namesake in Harper Davis to three consecutive conference championships from 2007-09 under once upon a time University of Alabama head coach Mike DuBose, a common thread for the Division III school in Mississippi’s capital city has been winning. The theme is shown through the Majors’ all-time record of 380-356-36.
However, there have been stretches of struggle as well. The first 40 years of the program were a down period before Davis came to Jackson. Six seasons after Davis decided to do away with the clipboard, the Major magic temporarily ran its course, at least on a consistency level. With various head coaches at the helm such as Tommy Ranager, Ron Jurney, DuBose, and now-athletic director Aaron Pelch, Millsaps experienced an ebb and flow of additional conference championships and more underwhelming seasons.
Unfortunately for the historic program, the last decade has become reminiscent of the program’s beginnings with the Majors unable to capture a winning season since 2013, which was also the last time rings were handed out to players and coaches.
Brandon Lechtenberg, the defensive coordinator for that 2013 squad who also aided in a conference title the year prior, is now back in Jackson and looking to reestablish the program’s championship culture – this time as head coach.
“I think when you look at the history of Millsaps College, there’s a proud tradition and a proud history of football here,” Lechtenberg said, looking down from a skybox onto Harper Davis Field. “But there’s a lot of work that goes into that. There’s a lot of work that goes into competing for and winning championships.”
As work started back in January when Lechtenberg was hired by his former boss in Pelch after stints on the Division I and Division II levels, the first revelation was that the roster was dwindling.
Recruiting a steady mix of both volume and talent immediately became a priority while also trying to engrain the mentality needed to win football games inside the heads of returning players. During the spring, the Majors only had around 40 players when other teams across the state and country were practicing with upward of 70.
“I told them in the spring that we’re small but mighty,” Lechtenberg recalled. “We only had about 40 total guys on the roster throughout the spring. You look at an Ole Miss or a Southern Miss, and they’re practicing with 75 or 85 guys throughout the spring. So, we’re rebuilding numbers, but we’re also rebuilding the culture here and I’m excited for these guys.”
Going into Thursday night’s season opener against crosstown rival Belhaven in the annual Riverside Rumble, the roster has visibly transformed with a massive first-year class bringing the total number up to 107, which Lechtenberg said, “is where a normal college football team should be.”
With 62 freshmen reporting to preseason camp last month – many of whom will start or see significant playing time – Lechtenberg believes the influx of younger players has pushed the remaining older guys harder than ever both mentally and physically since arriving at the collegiate ranks.
“The culture has been set by these older guys who were here in the spring,” he said. “They’ve welcomed the challenge of new players coming in to push them for playing time, to push them for jobs, and also to push the football program back to where we can compete and be a really competitive football team.”
Senior defensive back Darren Labit, who was recently honored with the Juan Joseph Memorial Award which goes out annually to the team’s best returning player who shows leadership qualities both on and off the field, shared similar thoughts during a team meeting last week.
“I’m learning from all the young guys and some of the older guys too,” Labit told teammates. “The young guys bring the energy every day, and y’all keep an old buck going. I really appreciate y’all for bringing that fire out of me every day to want to compete and keep going.”
With workouts and practices intensifying compared to years past and get-togethers off the field bettering team comradery, the product on the field for Millsaps is destined to see some improvement in year one under Lechtenberg. While the new head coach isn’t promising a specific number of wins, he is promising a different kind of effort from his players.
“When an opponent turns on our film, I don’t want them to sit back and wonder how they’re going to out-scheme these guys; I want them to turn on that film and say, ‘Dang, these guys play hard. These guys hit, they run, and they play hard,’” Lechtenberg said. “The identity of this football team will be that both on offense and defense.”
The offense coordinated by Armani Lonardo Ball will air it out more than in previous seasons because, to Lechtenberg, the modern game has shown the best way to protect the defense is by scoring more rather than controlling time of possession. As for the defense coordinated by Julian Jean-Baptiste but still impacted by Lechtenberg, fans can expect sporadic blitzes and exceptional pursuit of the football.
Regarding the upcoming matchup with a stout Belhaven team that made the playoffs last year but is now under a new head coach as well in CJ Nightingale, Lechtenberg implores fans to come see a glimpse of what the future of Millsaps football looks like.
“I would love to get the entire city of Jackson here on Thursday night and let them realize there’s pretty good small college football played here,” he concluded. “I’ve coached in a Rose Bowl at TCU. I’ve been in the FCS playoffs. At the end of the day, football is football. There is no difference in the amount of preparation that these kids, whether coming from Belhaven or Millsaps, are putting into the Riverside Rumble than what Ole Miss and Mississippi State put into the Egg Bowl.”
Kickoff for the Riverside Rumble is set for 7 p.m. CT at Millsaps.
