By Robert Wilson
Chuck Box was a huge success as a head baseball coach at Jackson Prep and Hartfield Academy before he left for Texas five years ago as a director of program development for Texas A&M, then the University of Texas.
Now, he’s coming back to Mississippi.
Jackson Academy announced this week that Box has been named head baseball coach and associate athletic director.
Box will replace interim head coach Justin Reed, who was promoted from assistant coach when Corey Dickerson left JA after one season to return to the major leagues as a coach with the Tampa Bay Rays after playing in the major leagues for 12 seasons before coming to JA. Box will begin his JA coaching career
Box is a part of one of the top college programs in the country, but missed being a high school head coach. Box was coached at Prep for 10 seasons and at Hartfield for four seasons before leaving to join longtime friend Jim Schlossnagle at Texas A&M and followed him to Texas.
“I wanted to lead a program. I missed high school baseball,” Box said. “The rhythm of the year, young player development, the small school community, Friday night football.
“When I began looking for a place I wanted to be, my criteria was very specific. I wanted to be somewhere where excellence was celebrated in all areas of the institution, not just athletics. I wanted to be somewhere where excellence was celebrated in academics, in the arts, socially, and spiritually. I wanted to be at a school that was committed to developing players at the highest level, somewhere where we can win the last game we play in each season. I wanted to be at a school that had the resources to operate an elite modern day high school program at the highest level. I was looking for alignment and vision from the leadership of the school. I wanted to be a part of a fun, engaged, and inspiring faculty that challenged students to be the best version of themselves everyday. JA checked those boxes for me. I wasn’t concerned about the ‘level’ I coached at. My late father, Charlie Box, always said, ‘The big time is not a destination, the big time is wherever you are.’ “
Box has already put together his mission and vision for JA baseball.
“The mission of the Jackson Academy baseball program will be very simple: to help every person in the program to become the best version of themselves,” Box said. “If we live out that mission everyday we will bring our vision to life and that is to provide a great experiencefor our students, their families, and the community while operating a premier baseball program that competes annually for a championship. At the same timeguide, inspire, and support our students in their development academically, athletically, socially, and spiritually.”
“First, a big thank you to Justin Reed and (assistant coach) AJ Downs for the leadership they’ve shown our team following Coach Dickerson’s departure,” JA athletic director Brandt Walker said. “They have done an outstanding job continuing to move our program forward. When it came time to find our next leader, I knew I wanted to speak with Coach Box. Having worked with him before (at Prep when Walker was an assistant AD), I’ve seen firsthand how he builds a program, from its structure and organization to a daily commitment to player development and accountability. He brings a proven track record of success and a clear vision for what it takes to compete at a high level year in and year out. Our goal is to build on the momentum we have and sustain success for years to come, and I truly believe Coach Box is the right person to lead us there. As we move into the playoffs, I’m excited to watch our Raiders finish strong as we compete for a championship. It has been a great year, and I’m incredibly proud of student athletes for the way they’ve continued to work hard together as a team to accomplish their goals.”
JA has a 25-8 record and is ranked No. 2 in Mississippi and No. 52 in the country by MaxPreps and plays Hartfield in a best of three series this week in the first round of the MAIS Class 4A playoffs.
Box won 283 games and six state championships in 10 seasons at Prep, then he guided Hartfield to two state runner-up finishes in four seasons and won a school record 35 games in 2021, including a 34-game winning streak. Hartfield fell three wins short of tying the MAIS record for most consecutive wins in a season, 37 by Magnolia Heights in 2013.
Box has more than a decade of college experience. He was the head coach at Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) University and Itawamba Community College for a combined 11 seasons where he won 363 games. Box, a 1991 Freed-Hardeman graduate and a 2010 Freed-Hardeman Athletic Hall of Fame member, guided his alma mater to a 44-10 record and a TranSouth Conference regular season championship and was ranked as high as No. 7 the national NAIA coaches poll in 1997. He also led Itawamba to a No. 1 national ranking in 2000 and a state junior college championship.
Hartfield head of school David Horner is one of many who are grateful what Box did. “Chuck is one of the most focused and hardworking people I’ve ever worked with,” Horner said. “His efforts during his years at Hartfield were critical in raising the standard of athletics. Chuck made an impact in many ways at Hartfield. Certainly, one of them was a tremendous improvement in our athletic facilities and baseball field specifically. He took great pride in creating one of the most beautiful baseball facilities for high schools in our area, maybe even the state. Chuck came to Hartfield during a time of tremendous growth for our school. He was here as we transitioned from 4A to 5A and eventually would lead to an extremely competitive 6A league. He also challenged our student athletes to think and expand their mindset and approach in ways they hadn’t before. Chuck played a major part and positive role in preparing Justin Smith for the role he has now as our head coach. They’re different coaches with different styles, but it’s impossible to be around Coach Box as an assistant and not be impacted.”
“Coach Box is the best,” said Smith, who was Hartfield’s associate head coach for three seasons with Box before replacing him as head coach five years ago. “He is one of the main reasons I stayed in coaching when I got started. He took the time to mentor me in the areas of coaching that most don’t think about by just playing and knowing the game. Ultimately, working with Coach Box equipped me with skills and knowledge that one could not require elsewhere. I’m just thankful for the time that I was blessed with to have worked with Coach Box.”
“Coach Box is a player’s coach,” said Lincoln Sheffield, who played for Box and graduated from Hartfield in 2022. “He’s not only one of the best high school coaches, he also is a mentor to all his players. He cared a lot about how we grow as men through our years in his program. Coach Box is that coach that always is at the school doing something to try to better the program. You could go up there on a Sunday at 4 and he would be sitting in his office working on a plan for practiced a month from now. He always would work with his players. You could text him and ask to get some ground balls or something and he would say yes. Coach Box really is someone I can trust and look up to because he has experience in the baseball world, and he wants to help and he’s going to be honest. He’s helped me in baseball a lot. I believe Coach Box is the most influential coach in my baseball career and I wouldn’t be as far along as I am without him to help me over the years.”
“I would not be the coach I am or where I am if not for the leadership and mentor that Coach Box has been to me and so many others,” said Prep coach Brent Heavener, who played for Box at Itawamba CC and coached with Box at Prep and replaced him when he left for Hartfield. “He is a great coach and mentor to me, but he is a better friend off the field. He was at my wedding, the day my little girl was born and my dad’s funeral. Chuck is one of the hardest working men I have been around. But in the true end, he loved his players and always wanted what was best for us. Winning championships was just a bonus for Chuck. Watching his players become men were more important than wins. If I ever need to bounce something off of him, he is always available and makes time to talk. I am forever grateful of the friendship and bond we have built over the years, and I am also so proud of him.”
Former Prep and Mississippi State outfielder Jake Mangum, the career SEC hits leader who is now playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, is a big Box fan.
“Coach Box means so much to the guys who played for him,” Mangum said. “My four years with him (2012-15) were awesome, winning three state championships together. No one is more prepared than Coach Box. He dominates the details and that’s what makes him different. He works tirelessly and has his guys’ backs. I will forever call him a dear friend and mentor.”
Former Prep and Alabama outfielder and TCU first baseman Gene Wood, who finished with Mangum in 2015 and was coached by Box, was always impressed with his high school coach’s preparation.
“One word that comes to mind would be prepared,” said Wood, who still holds the Prep school record with a .606 batting average. “There was not a coach that I knew or played for that was more prepared than Coach Box from the practice, itinerary, training programs, and game stats. He had everything down to the detail. I believe that is the reason the pace and speed of practice my first fall at Alabama wasn’t as big of a jump compared to others.
“As a whole, what truly encapsulates Coach Box was that he cared for his players. He truly cared. That stood true even post-graduation. He was the main reason TCU even wanted me in the first place. He and Coach (Bill) Mosiello at TCU are great friends. Coach Box knew I was looking to grad transfer, and the next time he talked to Coach Mosiello, Coach Box brought up my name when Mosiello mentioned they were looking for a first baseman. Box fully knew that I had never played first base in my life but told TCU that I could play first base. He stuck his neck out for me and it turned out to be a great final chapter of my career. And for that, I am forever grateful.”
