Doug Shanks

Douglas Shanks
Current position
TitleHead coach
TeamCentral Hinds Academy
Biographical details
Born(1946-10-25)October 25, 1946
Soso, Mississippi
DiedSeptember 4, 2023(2023-09-04) (aged 76)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1990–2000University Christian School (MS)
2001–2014Mississippi Valley State
2015–presentCentral Hinds Academy (MS)
Head coaching record
Overall253–471
TournamentsSWAC: 0–0
NCAA: 0–0

Douglas William Shanks[1][2][3][4] (October 25, 1946 – September 4, 2023) was an American college baseball coach. He was a city commissioner of Jackson, Mississippi and was on their city council.[5][6] He served as the head coach of the Mississippi Valley State Devils (2001–2014).

Early life

Shanks was born on October 25, 1946, in Soso, Mississippi.[7] Shanks was the son of Fred David and Frances (McMillan) Shanks.[2][8] Shanks graduated from Provine High School in 1964.[5] He then graduated from Liberty University.[7]

Political career

Shanks had wanted to become the mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, since he was a teenager.[9] Before 1977, he served as the Jackson director of public relations.[10] He was the city commissioner of Jackson, Mississippi from 1973 to 1977, under mayor Russell C. Davis.[5][11] In 1973, he became the first Republican to serve on the Jackson City Council.[11] In 1977 and 1981, as a Republican, he ran for mayor against Democrat Dale Danks, but lost.[2][5]

Coaching career

In 2001, Shanks became the first white head coach of a major sport at Mississippi Valley State, when he became the head baseball coach there.[12] After 14 seasons at Mississippi Valley State University, Shanks retired from coaching college baseball to become the head coach at Central Hinds Academy.[13]

Book

In 2020, Shanks co-wrote and published a book that details the history of southern Jackson from 1945 to 1965, called One Direction Home.[14]

Personal life

He married Kay Guest in 1975.[2] They had four children together.[7] One son, Fred, is a member of the Mississippi House of Representatives from Brandon.[15]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils (Southwestern Athletic Conference) (2001–2014)
2001 Mississippi Valley State 12–36 10–16 (East)
2002 Mississippi Valley State 10–42 10–15 5th (East)
2003 Mississippi Valley State 29–29 22–6 1st (East) SWAC Tournament
2004 Mississippi Valley State 35–23 23–9 1st (East) SWAC Tournament
2005 Mississippi Valley State 19–30 18–6 1st (East) SWAC Tournament
2006 Mississippi Valley State 24–32 20–4 1st (East) SWAC Tournament
2007 Mississippi Valley State 19–36 14–10 3rd (East) SWAC Tournament
2008 Mississippi Valley State 18–26 13–10 3rd (East) SWAC Tournament
2009 Mississippi Valley State 20–30 15–5 1st (East) SWAC Tournament
2010 Mississippi Valley State 23–30 16–8 2nd (East) SWAC Tournament
2011 Mississippi Valley State 18–36 14–9 2nd (East) SWAC Tournament
2012 Mississippi Valley State 17–39 10–14 4th (East) SWAC Tournament
2013 Mississippi Valley State 5–44 1–21 5th (East)
2014 Mississippi Valley State 4–38 4–18 5th (East)
Mississippi Valley State: 253–471 190–151
Total: 253–471

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

References

  1. ^ "Terry Marcus Loherbert Birth Newspaper birth announcement". Clarion-Ledger. 1985-03-21. p. 6. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  2. ^ a b c d "Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, Mississippi)23 Feb 1975, SunPage 50". Clarion-Ledger. 1975-02-23. p. 50. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  3. ^ The Packet. Mississippi Library Commission. 1976.
  4. ^ "Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi on June 8, 1975 · Page 109". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  5. ^ a b c d MS Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 596 https://da.mdah.ms.gov/series-files/sos/sosenrolled/sos-enrolled-2015/sos-enrolled-2015-concurrent/sos-enrolled-2015-concurrent-senate/pdf/SCR596.pdf
  6. ^ "Shanks leaving MVSU baseball". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2020-10-30.
  7. ^ a b c "Obituary for Douglas William Shanks at Wright & Ferguson Funeral Home - Flowood". www.wrightferguson.com. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  8. ^ "Obituary for Frances M. Shanks, 1923-2004 (Aged 81)". Clarion-Ledger. 2004-04-12. p. 16. Retrieved 2021-01-26.
  9. ^ "Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi on February 3, 1977 · Page 23". Newspapers.com. 1977-02-03. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  10. ^ "Clarion-Ledger from Jackson, Mississippi on May 6, 1977 · Page 74". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2021-03-23.
  11. ^ a b "Shanks get GOP nod to face Danks". Clarion-Ledger. 1981-05-13. p. 1. Retrieved 2020-10-30.
  12. ^ "Doug Shanks takes baseball coaching job at Mississippi Valley State University". Clarion-Ledger. 2000-08-12. p. 29. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  13. ^ Ros Dumlao (November 11, 2014). "MVSU baseball coach Doug Shanks retires". www.clarionledger.com. The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  14. ^ Edic, Gerard (2020-10-06). "2 ex-MVSU staffers collaborate on book about south Jackson". The Greenwood Commonwealth. Archived from the original on 2020-10-07. Retrieved 2021-03-24.
  15. ^ Bowker, Ernest (2023-09-05). "Doug Shanks, former Mississippi Valley State baseball coach, dies". The Vicksburg Post. Retrieved 2023-09-14.