Cody Stogner to take over Maroon Tide football; Evan Nichelson to lead baseball

Picayune has selected its new head football coach to replace Dodd Lee who led the Maroon Tide football program for 24 years. Cody Stogner, who played for Coach Lee and has been an assistant for the past 13 seasons, was approved by the Picayune Board of Trustees on Tuesday night.

Stogner, who played at Picayune, Southwest Mississippi Community College, and Nicholls State University, has been the offensive coordinator the past two seasons for the Maroon Tide. Stogner was elated about the announcement.

“It’s very exciting. I’m very blessed to be in the position I am now and fortunate enough to get here. I’ve been molded by a lot of great men in my life to give me the opportunity I’m in right now and I’m ready to get to work,” Stogner stated.

Stogner has been a huge part of the success at Picayune and was quick to state what fans should expect for his football program.

“The expectations and the status quo are not going to change. We will continue to outwork our opponents in order to put us in a position to be successful. Nothing is broke and we will continue on with the tradition that’s been put in place with Coach Lee. We will add just a few different things,” Stogner added.

Stogner has been committed to being a football coach since his last game he played in college.

“I knew when I walked off the field at Furman, South Carolina, in 2005 after they beat us in the playoffs, I knew I wanted to stay in athletics and what better way to do it than coach,” he stated.

“I set my goal back then to be a head coach someday, somewhere. I didn’t know it would be here (Picayune), but I’m very fortunate to be back here at my alma mater.”

In accepting the role of head coach, Stogner resigned his position as head baseball coach and the school has named assistant baseball coach Evan Nichelson as the head coach for the baseball team.

Nichelson played baseball at Picayune and graduated in 2009. During his senior season, Nichelson was a major part of the Maroon Tide advancing to the South State Finals.

He has been an assistant at Picayune since the 2013 season and served on Stogner’s staff for the past four years.