“I’m most excited about turning a program around getting the guys to believe in something,” said Head Boys Basketball Coach Jacob Ginn. Coach Ginn recently shared his enthusiasm for basketball season, especially for big district opponent games such as Simpson and Leake. “I think we can take them down this year,” he said.

Coach Ginn has loved the game of basketball since childhood. “There are pictures of me as a baby holding a basketball in my hand,” he said. His father has been a basketball coach for more than 30 years and Coach Ginn grew up playing the game and even played for a year at Mississippi College. 

New to Lamar this year, Coach Ginn is building a basketball program that goes beyond the court. “I’m what you call a culture coach,” he said. “I truly believe that the most important thing you can do as a coach is instill your culture first and basketball will follow.” 

He shared the four pillars of what Lamar’s basketball culture is built on:

1. Humility - Do what others don’t.

2. Discipline - Maximize our time.

3. Toughness - Stay in the fight. 

4. Trustworthiness - Do your part, no matter what. 

“I’m held to these standard as well,”  he added. “These are the standards we are trying to build and what we’re standing on.” 

Part of building a team includes having some fun too. Coach Ginn says he enjoys having the team over for dinner, going to the movies with the team, and finding fun things outside of basketball to help make sure the team is a cohesive group that sticks together. 

He said that practices are very intense and high energy. “I want the practices to be harder than games so when we play games we just go out and have a lot of fun.” 

This season, show your support for Lamar basketball by coming out to the games—let’s fill the stands and cheer on Coach Ginn and the team as they build something special!