Tony Vance is beginning his eighth season as the head football coach of the Hattiesburg Tigers, and third year as Athletic Director. Coach Vance has an overall record of 117-43 winning 73% of his games as a head coach. The Hattiesburg Tigers finished the 2019 campaign 4-6 and missed the playoffs by one game. This marked the first time in Vance’s 12-year career that his team did not make it to the post-season. The Tigers claimed back-to-back division championships in 2017 and 2018. His team finished the 2017 season 14-1 averaging 48 points per contest, and advanced to the MHSAA State Playoffs for the fifth straight year, and eventually to the school’s first 5A State Championship appearance since 1998. The 2018 version of the Hattiesburg Tigers finished the season 12-1 averaging 49 points per game.
Before he arrived in Hattiesburg, Vance was the head coach at Charleston High School. While at Charleston, he compiled an overall record of 60-10 in five seasons as the head coach. Throughout those five seasons, his team never lost a division game and won 5 straight division titles. In 2011 Vance led his team to the 3A State Championship. His team averaged 39 points per game. In 2012 his Charleston Tigers made a second consecutive trip to the state championship game. Offensively the Tigers averaged 42 points per game. Coach Vance also has stops on his resume at Olive Branch High School and Coffeeville High School. Coach Vance grew up in Tippo, MS where he was the 12th of 13 children. He is a proud 1993 graduate of Charleston High School. He received his Associate’s Degree from Coahoma Community College in Clarksdale, MS. He went on to receive both his BS and Masters Degree from MVSU in Itta Bena, MS.
Coach Vance is beginning his 23rd year in the coaching profession and his message to his players has remained the same—Do what’s right, and be where you are supposed to be when you are supposed to be there.
Tony is married to the former Vernida Harris of Charleston. They have four children: Cedric, Keasia, Ty’Keria, and Tony II (Deuce).