Former Alcorn Coach Luther Riley Moves On To Columbus H.S.

COACH LUTHER RILEY
COLUMBUS (Miss.) HIGH SCHOOL

COLUMBUS, Mississippi -- The Columbus Municipal School District is moving ahead with plans to fill several coaching vacancies at Columbus High School.

Interim Columbus High Athletic Director Ben Moore said Wednesday that former Alcorn State University men's basketball and John W. Provine High boys basketball coach Luther Riley has accepted the job as boys basketball coach at the high school.

The decision to hire Riley was approved May 11 by the CMSD school board. According to the board agenda, Riley is set to make $45,530 as a salary and $9,400 as a supplement ($54,930 total). Those figures are based on the salary schedule for 2014-15 and/or previously approved 2015-16 salary schedules.

Riley, who was unavailable for comment Wednesday night, comes to Columbus High after going 38-91 in four seasons as coach at Alcorn State in Lorman, a Division I school that is a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. In January, Riley announced he was taking a personal leave of absence. He told The Clarion-Ledger he expected to return to coaching later in the season. Assistant coach Shawn Pepp led the program in Riley's absence. The Braves finished 6-26 (4-14 SWAC) this past season. In March, Alcorn State opted not to renew the contracts of Riley and women's basketball coach Tonya Edwards.

The contracts for both coaches expired at the end of the month.

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