| Years at Northeast: | 1973-76, 1979-96 |
| Sports: | Women's Basketball/Softball/Tennis |
| Occupation: | Head Coach |
Millard Lothenore holds the distinction of being the only individual in the rich history of the Northeast Mississippi Community College athletic department to hold the title of head coach over four different sports programs.
Lothenore first entered into the athletic realm in the fall of 1973 at the request of legendary athletic director and coach Bonner Arnold. He was tasked with putting together a women's basketball team at Northeast for the first time in 17 years.
Women's basketball was discontinued as an intercollegiate sport by each of the two-year colleges across the state after the 1954-55 season. Lothenore's outstanding work set the stage for a combined 30 national, regional, state and division championships that have followed in the decades since its reestablishment.
He constructed a 13-member roster comprised solely of ladies from Northeast's local five-county district for that initial season. The Tigerettes as they were called then won their first game back from the hiatus at Meridian Community College on November 6, 1973 by a score of 58-53.
Northeast also defeated Meridian in its inaugural home contest one week later by a 53-44 margin. The Tigerettes started the year on a six-game winning streak that included a 60-57 triumph over Northwest Mississippi Community College.
Janie Ham and Sue Love were selected to the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) All-State team from Lothenore's first squad. The Tigerettes also bested Mississippi State University during the 1973-74 campaign.
Northeast won a second consecutive season opener with a 77-60 decision over Blue Mountain College to begin its 1974-75 slate of games. The Tigerettes went on to beat the neighboring Lady Toppers a second time in January and took an impressive 43-point victory from Jackson State (Tenn.) Community College as well.
Lothenore is also the only person in school history to serve as a head coach of the same sports program in two separate stints. His initial duties with the Tigerettes ended in the spring of 1976 when fellow Northeast Sports Hall of Famer Jim Lamb took control of the team.
However, Lothenore returned to the Lady Tigers and ironically replaced Lamb prior to the 1979-80 campaign. He instructed Northeast for two additional years before Ricky Ford began his storied hall of fame career in 1981.
Lothenore accepted the position of assistant athletic director shortly after leaving the women's basketball team and embarked on yet another ambitious task. He started Northeast's softball program from scratch in 1982.
His inaugural team, which played against slow-pitch competition, compiled an 11-13 record. The Tigers swept Itawamba Community College in their first-ever doubleheader and later took games from four-year institutions such as Blue Mountain and the University of North Alabama.
Northeast wrapped up its initial season under Lothenore at the MACJC State Tournament. The Tigers went 2-2 in the event with triumphs over Copiah-Lincoln Community College and Pearl River Community College.
Lothenore's Tigers made history in just their second year of existence by capturing the 1983 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 23 Tournament championship in Meridian.
Northeast by virtue of its regional title clinched a berth to the NJCAA National Tournament, which was held that year in Cullman, Ala. The Tigers ended that campaign with a stellar 24-7 record.
Lothenore and the Tigers continued their success by winning back-to-back MACJC North Division championships from 1984-85. Northeast went a combined 36-15 during that two-year period.
Softball was temporarily disbanded at Northeast following the 1989 season. Lothenore transitioned to another sport one year later and took over the tennis program from Northeast Sports Hall of Fame instructor Emma Braddock.
Lothenore once again found instant success in his new post. Northeast finished as both the state and regional runner-up to secure a spot in the NJCAA National Tournament.
The women's duo of Jodi Dansereau and Kathi Merwin won two consecutive state and regional titles while under the watch of Lothenore. The duo qualified for the NJCAA National Tournament in Tyler, Texas, and had an impressive 23-3 record over their pair of seasons together.
Lothenore oversaw changes in the tennis program from a co-ed squad to separate men's and women's teams in 1994. Shannon Stevens represented the Lady Tigers that year by reaching the number three singles title match at the MACJC State Tournament.
The men's unit had two straight phenomenal campaigns from 1995-96 with 21 wins compared to just six losses in that stretch. Chris Austin and Brandon Hankins capped the magnificent run by the Tigers with a number two doubles state championship.
He relinquished his role with the tennis programs in 1996 and at the same time concluded 20 years of coaching between the four sports. Lothenore remained at Northeast as a member of the health and physical education department until his retirement in 2003.
Lothenore earned an Associate's degree from Northeast, Bachelor's degree at Mississippi State and a Master's degree from the University of North Carolina. He also served our country in the United States Marine Corps.