BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) — Saturday night, the Sunkist Country Club was filled with people remembering former Biloxi High School basketball coach Jackie Laird.
Laird led the Biloxi High basketball team for 25 years, becoming a mentor and father figure to countless athletes along the way.
One of those athletes was Sever Windham, who went on to become Biloxi High’s basketball coach for nearly 30 years. He said he wasn’t nervous to step into Laird’s shoes because Laird had already taught him everything he needed to know.
“So I didn’t feel like I had to be bigger than him. I just had to follow his footsteps. The game of basketball is hard. You’re gonna win some, you’re gonna lose some. But you’ve got to built relationships with young men, build relationships with your community, and that’s what he taught me how to do,” Windham said.
Jackie Laird is survived by his wife, two children, three grandchildren and two sisters.
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