Brian McLellan
Published: April 27, 2005
A new era was ushered in on Tuesday, when PJC announced Chanda Rigby as the new Head Coach for the PJC Women’s Basketball team.
“I’m truly honored by this position,” Rigby said, “and I am really humbled for being offered this job.”
Coach Rigby comes to the Pirates from Holmes Community College in Mississippi, where she spent four years as the Head Coach for the Bulldogs. She has been coaching for 14 years, with 12 as a head coach.
Rigby was selected as the Louisiana High School Coach of the Year in 1996 and 2000, and was selected as the Mississippi All-Star Coach in 2005.
Coach Rigby also has a long history of winning to go with her many awards.
Prior to Rigby’s arrival at Holmes, the Bulldogs had suffered nine consecutive losing seasons. Under Rigby, they completed four straight winning seasons, and ended last season ranked 15th in the nation.
She has an overall winning percentage of over 70% in her head coaching career, a task that is not easily accomplished.
“I don’t want to promise too much for my first year. I’d rather under-promise for the season, and then over-deliver,” Rigby said.
In the end, Athletic Director Bill Hamilton put all of Coach Rigby’s emotions into a simple phrase as he pinned a PJC lapel pin on Rigby’s shirt.
“Now you’re a Pirate,” Hamilton said.