GIRLS BASKETBALL

Aaron Woods named girls basketball coach at Liberty

Michael Odom
Jackson Sun

For North Side graduate Aaron Woods, Liberty brought an opportunity to come home to the city that he grew up in.

Woods was recently named the girls basketball coach at Liberty, replacing Cynthia Gatewood, who stepped down at the end of the 2016-17 season.

Aaron Woods is the new girls basketball coach at Liberty.

"It is an honor to be able to come home and give back to the city I love," Woods said. "I thank God for the opportunity and can't wait to get started. It's truly a blessing, and I'm looking forward to meeting with the girls, having tryouts and immediately getting to work."

Woods comes back to Jackson after spending the past seven years in Durant (Miss.). He has been the boys and girls basketball coach at Durant for the past two seasons.

"By me moving to a different state, I feel like I can adapt more to dealing with different people and different situations," Woods said. "I think those experiences got me ready for a job like Liberty.

"I have been waiting for the perfect time to come back to Jackson, and when I heard the Liberty job was open, I said 'Why not?' In Mississippi, I have been giving my all to these kids, so now I can come home and give my all to Jackson."

He led the boys team to the state quarterfinals in 2016 and the girls team to the state semifinals in 2017.

"These past two seasons, we made the state tournament," Woods said. "I believe with my coaching and the players fundamentals, we can do it here at Liberty."

Woods graduated from North Side in 2002, and he went on to play college basketball at Bethel and Rust.

Reach Michael Odom at michodom@jacksonsun.com or 731-425-9754. Follow him on Twitter @JSWriterMichael.