Say the name Larry McKay to anyone in North Mississippi, and the first word that comes up for discussion is basketball. If the discussion continues, talk of Baldwyn High School invariably comes up – Baldwyn Bearcat championship basketball, to be precise.
Rightfully so, basketball has been a part of Larry McKay’s life since early childhood. In fact, he and his high school teammates won a state basketball championship for the Bearcats in 1964.
Then, in 1975, as boys’ head basketball coach at Baldwyn High School, Larry McKay led the Bearcats to another state title in 1975. But that was only the beginning of a family legacy of basketball.
Larry’s son Jason McKay played point guard on Baldwyn’s back-to-back state championship teams in 1986 and 1987. Then, Jason returned to Baldwyn as a coach, taking the girls’ team to the Big House in 2005.
Soon, he began coaching the boys’ team as well, leading them to Jackon three times, with his Bearcats taking home the big gold ball in 2013. That year, the McKay legacy grew even more, as Jason’s son Conner was a freshman player on that championship team.
But Larry McKay’s legacy spread well beyond Baldwyn, Mississippi. Multiple young athletes from his family played and coached on basketball courts throughout the state, including his other son, Wesley McKay, Will Hall and Ben Gardner.
This brings us right back to the basketball games taking place this week in Jackson, Mississippi, at the 2025 Big House Classic.
Yes, Coach Larry McKay watched two of those state championship games, one led by his son, Coach Jason McKay, and the other led by his nephew, Coach Ben Gardner.
What a legacy! A set of Mississippi cousins coaching Mississippi basketball in a Mississippi coliseum where three generations of family members have played and coached championship teams.
Coach Ben Gardner and his Madison Central Jaguars played the Germantown Mavericks on Thursday night, February 27. The final score (69-52) of this 7A Boys’ matchup ended with Germantown taking the title for the first time in their program’s history.
Then, on Friday, February 28, at noon, Coach Jason McKay and his Baldwyn Bearcats played the Coffeeville Pirates for the 1A Boys’ championship. Coffeeville took home the coveted championship trophy with a final score of 63-45.
Even though the results were not exactly what Coach Larry McKay or the other coaches in his family might have wanted, their family legacy will not end there.
As one family member’s social media post explained, “Basketball is in our blood. It’s a part of who we are.”
Another post showed Coach Larry McKay holding his great-grandson in his arms as they watched one of the games at the Big House Classic. The post stated, “Larry is pointing and telling Miles that he is next in line. Keep it going.”
So, rest assured, Mississippi high school basketball fans, Coach Larry McKay’s legacy is just getting started.
