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A state championship winning high school football coach in Mississippi has stepped down from his post. The Brandon Bulldogs will be without Lance Pogue for the remainder of the season.
The surprising decision was linked to backlash surrounding Pogue’s debut campaign. A negative response to Year 1 forced his hand.
Brandon competes at the 7A level near the state capital of Jackson. It has been one of the top high school football programs in the area over, winning 10+ games in 10 of the last 13 seasons.
The Bulldogs had gone 45-10 since 2021. They reached the state title game last year before losing to Tupelo. The leader of that staff took a job in Alabama during the offseason.
Brandon looked to continue success with the addition of a proven coach.
Who is high school football coach Lance Pogue?
Pogue had previously coached at Columbia, Jackson Academy, Heritage Academy, Eupora, and Winona in the state of Mississippi. He won nearly 80% of his games at those stops (246-71) to go along with multiple state championships.
He was hired by Brandon in March of this year. That move was largely celebrated by the school and fanbase.
His football marriage with Brandon High School seemed fitting. Both have been at the pinnacle of the sport in recent years.
It, unfortunately, did not work out.
Pogue received backlash amid a slow start. He has now stepped down in a move described as mutual between him and the school.
Brandon football is 3-4 this season.
The team fell to Tupelo in the season opener, which represented a state championship rematch. It’s gone 3-3 in the six games since.
The Bulldogs have been losers in three of the last four contests, with the lone win being a 3-0 victory over district rival Northwest Rankin.
For reference, the four losses double the program’s output from the year prior. There is a chance Brandon matches the total of the last three seasons combined (7). The school is not used to losing!
Offense has been a glaring issue. The unit has not scored more than 21 points in a game thus far. The team as a whole has taken a massive step back.
Negativity reportedly surrounded the program as the losses began to pile up. It led Lance Pogue to remove himself from his post.
Breaking: sources have confirmed that Brandon’s head football coach Lance Pogue has stepped down from his role. At this time, there’s no word on Pogue’s position as Athletic Director, or who the interim head coach will be.
— Carlos Garcia (@CGarciaWAPT) October 21, 2025
He explained that decision after the fact.
“The negativity just sucked the life out of us,” Pogue told the Clarion Ledger. “Love the players and coaches dearly.”
He would not dive deeper into where that negativity was coming from.
It could’ve been parents. It could’ve been administration. Maybe it was coming from within his own coaching staff. Maybe even from his players.
Whatever the case, he is no longer the football coach at Brandon High School. He has also stepped down as athletic director. Assistant Eugene Clinton will be his replacement in the interim.