South Gibson promotes Derek Morales to head football coach

After a five-week search, the South Gibson administration didn’t have to look far to name the new head football coach. On Thursday, defensive coordinator Derek Morales was promoted to the head spot.

“Coach Morales brings a strong vision, passion for student-athletes, and a commitment to excellence that aligns perfectly with the direction of our program,” South Gibson principal Amber Harris said. “We believe his leadership will have a positive impact on our players, our school, and our entire community, and we look forward to an exciting future for our football program.”

Morales has been the defensive coordinator the past two seasons under Ben Johnson, who resigned in February to become the new head coach at Evangelical Christian School.

Before coming to South Gibson, Morales was an assistant coach at Milan for 10 seasons after coaching stops at Missouri Valley State and Lambuth University.

Morales makes the third head coach in the history of the Hornets’ football program. Scott Stidham coached South Gibson for the first 12 years of the program’s history before resigning to take a job in Middle Tennessee, and Johnson has been the head coach the past four years.

Since the start of the program, South Gibson has a 108-66 record over 16 years. The Hornets are coming off their first-ever appearance in the Class 4A semifinals last season, finishing the season with a 10-4 record.

Morales played college football at Lambuth University from 2003-05 after playing high school football in Plano, Texas.

Morales and his wife Melanie along with their children Landon (13) and Charlotte (12) live in Medina, and Melanie Morales serves as the guidance counselor for 11th and 12th grade at South Gibson.