WALTHALL - Veteran teacher, administrator, coach, father, grandfather are just a few of the hats that the new headmaster of Hebron Christian Academy has worn over the past thirty-six years in public work. Coach William Walter Cotton is one of the original good guys that wears the white hat and shoots the silver bullets. Wherever he works, his instilled work ethic inspires his people to achieve success in either playing better or teaching better.

Coach Cotton (I knew him as a coach first) has earned three degrees from Mississippi State University: a BS in science and physical education, a Master's in administration and science, and a Triple A in administration and computer application. Two of these degrees were earned while working full time. He also has two children: William Walter Cotton, Jr., and Haley Camille Cotton Smith. He has two grandchildren: Scott (5) and Sophia (2). He also in the proud owner of a black cat named Ivy Jean. Currently, he divides his life between living next door to his mother Mary Lanell Cotton in Cotton Bottom and his apartment he keeps in Houlka. Mr. Cotton's father W.L. Cotton is deceased. To achieve success, one must work and work hard. Cotton lives this and teaches this to his staff and to his students.

He began his career serving as football coach and teaching science at Maben High School, his alma mater. (It's hard to believe that a coach can actually teach.) He worked at Maben for eleven years before he moved to Houlka to serve as administrator. After he left Houlka, he worked for a while as principal in schools in Hinds and Washington counties.

He retired in 1997 and worked in the automotive department in Wal-Mart. Amusingly enough, one his co-workers there told him he worked too hard and was too happy at his job.

Any school teacher will tell you when the bell rings in August (or used to be in September), it's time to go back to work. So this is what Cotton did when his friend, fellow teacher and coach, and now administrator Gary Vaughan called- Coach Cotton went back to work. East Webster Principal Vaughan needed a counselor to help finish the year and to help with State Testing, which can be a nightmare. He later reapplied and attained the job as principal at Houlka where he remained until he took this job as headmaster.

When asked what a headmaster does, Cotton replied, "I am the superintendent, the part-time principal, the operations manager, the public relations liaison, the budget maker, the teacher evaluator, and the "scheduler" of classes, plus anything else that needs doing."

Thirty-six year veteran Cotton is replacing Sam Pearson who resigned to take a position at Pickens Academy in Pickens County Alabama.