Central Hinds Academy is pleased to announce that Henry Gantz has been selected as the new Athletic Director and that Sam Vincent is moving up to Head Varsity Football coach.
Coach Gantz, who is in his 8th year at Central Hinds, is a graduate of Indianola Academy and the University of Mississippi. After having successful programs at Briarfield Academy, Central Private School, and Copiah Academy, Coach Gantz has thrived as the Girl’s Basketball coach at CHA winning two South State Championships, four district championships, and being South State runner-up once and district runner-up three times. His teams have advanced to the Overall State Basketball Tournament quarterfinals two times, farther than any other basketball teams in school history. In a spectacular three-year run (2017-2019), the Junior Varsity girls had a record of 74 wins and 1 loss with a 57 game winning streak. In addition to his work with CHA, Coach Gantz is the owner and founder of the Mississippi Jazz, a top-10 nationally ranked AAU program. In the classroom, he has twice been selected as Central Hinds Academy’s STAR teacher.
“Coach Gantz is continuing to have a tremendous impact on our school on the court and in the classroom, and I am excited to see that translate to the athletic program as a whole,” said Head of School, Steve McCartney.
Coach Vincent will be entering his 5th season at Central Hinds. A three-sport athlete, Vincent graduated from Florence High School. As a quarterback at Florence, he was named Most Valuable Player in the District for three straight seasons. After graduating high school, Coach Vincent went on to play at Millsaps College before graduating from Mississippi State University. Coach Vincent has been the Junior Varsity head coach for the past three seasons, and has called plays for the Varsity team as the Offensive Coordinator for the past three seasons as well. “I am eager to see what Coach Vincent can do to continue the success of our football program. The kids are excited to play for him and I share in their excitement,” said Henry Gantz.
“One of the most important things about these two men is that they are deeply committed to their players, and the connection that the players have with their coaches is evident,” McCartney said. “The Central Hinds Academy athletic program is in good hands.”