Clinton football coach John Carr leaves for Starkville

By Danny C. Davis

Less than one year after Clinton High School football coach John Carr was hired, he has left to be head coach at Starkville High School.

Carr was hired in April 2024 to replace twelve-year head coach Judd Boswell, who had accepted the position as athletic director for the school district.

Carr had been chosen after a three-month intensive search by Clinton administrators. He had thirty years of experience at the high school level and more recently at the Division 1 college level.

Now, with Carr’s early departure, Clinton returning senior players will be forced to play for a third head coach within just in three years.

Clinton is considered one of the top football coaching jobs in Mississippi at the top 7A level, and it is very rare for a coach not to stay for a long tenure here.  In fact, the Arrows have had only had ten head football coaches over the past seventy years. That all began with Roy Burkett, who became the Clinton head football coach in 1956 and coached until 1972.

The last time Clinton had a one-year-only head football coach was seventy years ago, when Stan Martin was a one-year coach in 1955, and Johnny McDaniel only coached one year for the 1954 season.

Carr led Clinton to a 4-6 record in 2024, including wins over # 1 ranked Brandon, top five ranked Starkville, and top 15 ranked and rival Warren Central. Clinton also had only a one-point loss to Northwest Rankin.

He was instrumental in starting a new seventh-grade football program with a game schedule and he oversaw the starting back up of the junior varsity program with games.  Under Carr, there was a “rebranding” of the Arrow football field house that included a “picture wall wrap” with pictures of Clinton Arrow football history and of former players and coaches.”

Carr was the play caller on an “up tempo” offense that scored 65 points on Brandon and averaged 30 points a game.

The Clinton football program is considered to be on the upswing, with a lot of skill players returning on offense and a lot of starters back on defense for the 2025 upcoming season.

In a statement, John Carr had these comments:

“I feel like Clinton was good to me and that I was good for them. I feel we are leaving the program better than when I arrived, and everything is in place for the next coach to come in and win and be very successful. I am thankful for my relationships with the assistant coaches, players and fans and wish them all the very best.”

“We are looking forward to the opportunity of finding someone fully committed to guide this great community and football program,” said Boswell.

“Clinton student athletes will have someone committed to the progression and growth of the program very soon,” he added.