It has been said it takes a village to raise a child, but it took the Natchez community to select the leading candidate as the new head football coach at Natchez High School.

On Tuesday, the Natchez-Adams School District named Rolling Fork High School head coach James Denson as its leading candidate for the vacant spot, two and a half months after the resignation of Elbert &uot;Mo&uot; Lyles.

Superintendent Dr. Carl Davis and a committee of educators and community members will present their choice today to the Natchez-Adams School Board.

If the board agrees with the committee, contract and salary negotiations will begin.

Harrison Knight, whose nephew, Danny Knight Jr., is on the football team and whose son, Harrison Knight Jr., will be going out for the team for the 2001 season, was on the committee.

Knight, who has worked at Johns Manville for 28 years, said the method of picking a new coach was &uot;a great process.&uot;

&uot;It involved people in the school system and people in the community,&uot; he said. &uot;It was a good idea. People in the community got to see what the new coach is about.

&uot;We need a coach who is a father figure,&uot; Knight continued. &uot;I believe we got that in James Denson.&uot;

Denson, a coach for 35 years, has a career record of 248-110-4.

Knight said when he saw Denson’s resum\u00E9, he was impressed.

&uot;He has a winning record. He is one who cares about the players, but not only about them, but about their grades and character. He is well-organized,&uot; he said.

Knight also said Davis’ method of choosing the new coach &uot;is the right way. He was the one that got the community involved.&uot;

Another member of the committee was Fred Longs, personnel director for the Natchez-Adams School District.

Longs said the process went extremely well.

&uot;We had some city employees, community citizens and, of course, some educators,&uot; he said. &uot;It shows they are really interested in sports in the school district.&uot;

Longs said involving the community in the process of picking a new football coach at Natchez was an excellent idea.

&uot;You want to get everybody involved in decisions that will affect the children,&uot; he said.

As for Denson, Longs described him as &uot;a wonderful role model.&uot;

&uot;We are thankful to have him moving to Natchez and working with the kids,&uot; he said. &uot;He is an excellent coach and an outstanding individual.&uot;