By Robert Wilson
Pillow Academy’s Durwin Carpenter could become the winningest girls basketball coach in Mississippi history next season.
But right now, Carpenter is focused on winning Tuesday’s MAIS Class 4A, District 1 game at Madison St. Joseph and hoping to lead his team on another state championship run and to a possible Overall Tournament title.
Carpenter has 1,220 victories in his 52nd season and trails only Doyle Wolverton, who won 1,249 games from 1975-2014 at Leake Academy, in Mississippi history. Carpenter is also third in the country in wins among active girls basketball coaches.
Carpenter has averaged 21.6 wins over his career and if he continues that pace he will pass Wolverton sometime during the 2026-2027 season.
Carpenter – who has four grandchildren (two in Greenwood and two in Destin, Fla.) – has won 863 games in his 32nd season at Pillow and won 357 games in 20 seasons at Central Holmes Academy. The Grenada Rundle High, Holmes Community College and Delta State alumnus has won four MAIS Overall championships and 10 state titles. His last Overall title was in 2020, his last state title in 2004.
Pillow named its basketball court after Carpenter several years ago.
Carpenter’s team has a 14-4 record – with three losses to Overall state championship contender and Class 3A favorite Leake Academy. He has three returning starters from last year’s team, which finished 22-9 and reached the Overall quarterfinals. But one of those starters, senior Jane Kimmel Buford, suffered a torn ACL in the first few minutes against Simpson in the third game this season, Pillow’s only other loss (63-60) this year. Buford had surgery in November and is expected to miss the entire season.
The other two returning starters are senior guard Izzy Hodges – daughter of longtime Pillow assistant coach Mignon Hodges – and junior point guard Mere Austin Wilkey. Hodges leads the team with a 14.6 scoring average. The other three starters are junior Madeline Carroll, sophomore Miriam Jane Rodgers and junior JonHartley Slater, who replaced Buford.
“We have only nine players, but they all want playing time and get after it in practice,” Carpenter said. “They are a good group. They get along really good and help each other on and off the court. We have one senior, four juniors and four sophomores. The sophomores have improved a lot. They know if they don’t play defense, they won’t get on the court. We have balanced scoring; there are about three of four girls who have led us in scoring in games.”
Pillow leads the district with a 2-0 record with wins over Bayou Academy and Jackson Academy. In addition, Pillow is hosting Class 4A North State. The Class 4A state tournament is at Jackson Prep.
Carpenter, 74, isn’t ready to retire.
“One of my granddaughters is in the fourth grade and she wants me to coach her,” Carpenter said. “And I want to coach her too. Hopefully, I can.”
Carpenter is admired by his peers in the coaching profession.
“Coach Carpenter is definitely one of the best,” said Leake coach Amanda Hatch, who is in her 17th season as a head coach, the last 12 at Leake. “Not only is he one of the best coaches, which is evident every time you see his team play, but he’s also one of the best people around, as I’ve truly enjoyed getting to know him over the years. It’s always a tough game when you play or coach against Pillow, and it’s always an honor to be on the same court with him.”
“Coach Carpenter’s record speaks for itself,” said St. Joe coach Tommy Groves, who has been coaching various sports for 45 years, the 16 seasons coaching girls basketball at Hillcrest Christian (10 seasons) and St. Joe (six seasons). “His teams are always well prepared and play with great intensity. I have the utmost respect for what’s he achieved in his career.”
“Durwin is a true Southern gentleman and a heck of a basketball coach,” said Simpson Academy coach Linda Dear, who is in her 40th season, 23 at Simpson. “He and his teams are always classy and I have the utmost respect for him and the Pillow basketball program. I”m proud to call him friend – in spite of all the times that he has beaten me on the basketball court.”
“When I first started coaching at Starkville Academy, Coach Carpenter and Pillow Academy girls were the standard and where the bar was placed,” said MRA coach Stephen Force, who is in his 30th season as a head coach, six years at Starkville and 24 years at MRA. “They are the level that you wanted your teams as an opposing coach to reach. He has always been someone that I knew I had to compete the hardest against because I knew he and his teams were going to be well prepared and very aggressive, but I knew his teams would make us better. When I first came into the league, we developed a pretty good friendship and he has always been there for me when I needed help with something and has helped me along the way many times.”
“When I think of Durwin Carpenter, two words come to mind – longevity and success,” said Jackson Prep coach Michael McAnally, who has coached girls in 20 of his 25 seasons as a head coach, the last 12 at Prep. “Coach Carpenter has done nothing but win at high level and has done it so for decades. Some teams you don’t even have to turn on film to know what you’re getting and his is one of those teams. You are going to get defensive pressure, usually in full court, and you’re going to get a lot of five out motion with constant cutters and not much standing. When you start your short list of most consistent girls basketball programs in our league, Pillow is going to be on that list and that is a large part to the program that Durwin has built. He’s a legend in our association. He’s raised the bar for girls basketball in Mississippi. And it’s been my great pleasure to share the court with him during my years coaching girls basketball.”
