Buddy Stephens has served as the head football coach at East Mississippi Community College (EMCC) since December 2007, becoming the architect of one of the most dominant junior-college programs in the country. When he arrived, EMCC had not enjoyed a winning season in the previous decade and had only made one state-playoff appearance in school history. Under his leadership, the Lions have won five NJCAA national championships (2011, 2013-14, 2017-18) and captured nine Mississippi Association of Community College Conference (MACCC)/Region 23 titles and 11 MACCC North Division crowns. He was inducted into the NJCAA Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame as the 2024 honoree.
His coaching record at EMCC over a 16-season span is approximately 148-28 (winning percentage around .841), with an even better mark in divisional regular-season games (86-10, about .896). As of 2025 he ranks third among active NJCAA head coaches in career winning percentage (among those with 100+ games) and is 21st on the NJCAA’s all-time wins list.
Prior to EMCC, Stephens was an assistant coach for seven seasons at Pearl River Community College in Poplarville, Mississippi (where the team posted a record of 60-12, won a NJCAA championship in 2004 and four consecutive MACJC state titles from 2003-06). Before that he coached at the high school level in Alabama and Louisiana. He played college football first at Pearl River CC (offensive line) then at Delta State University, and earned a bachelor’s degree in education before beginning his coaching career. A native of Huntsville, Alabama, he is married (Robyn Lynn Douglas) and has three daughters: Lauren, Julianna, and Rebekah.
