A new school calendar inevitably leads to new faces on school staff, and this year is no different in the athletic department of the Marion School District. The MSD promoted David Lara to athletic director in the spring after he spent the 2023-2024 school year as the district's assistant AD. Additionally, the district tabbed Nicole Lawson as its new assistant AD. Lara succeeds Derek Harrell, who took over as Cross County's head boys basketball coach, and who served as Marion's AD since 2017. “I am just really excited to be here in this community,” said Lara. “I am thankful to our administration for all of their hard work and their vision for our athletic programs.” “This is a great opportunity for me to get involved at a great school district,” said Lawson. “I wasn't sure what to expect when I first interviewed here, but it's the perfect place. I already love it here.” "We are extraordinarily excited about having David and Nicole on our team because they're both exceptionally bright, hard-working and have the sense of the excellence we are striving for with our entire athletic program," said Dr. Glen Fenter, superintendent of the Marion School District. "David has a huge amount of experience from his time in Hernando, Miss., and is a great problem-solver. Nicole is happy to go the extra mile to do whatever needs to be done. Plus, her experience as a student-athlete in college gives her experience that is both valuable and relevant. Our district is blessed to have both of them on the Patriot team." Lara, a Cleveland, Miss., native, graduated from Delta State before becoming a wildly successful baseball coach at Grenada, Brandon, and Hernando, Mississippi. Lara won more than 200 games as head baseball coach at Hernando before coming to Marion a year ago. He also served at Hernando's AD for 10 years. “I miss the direct relationship with kids that I had when I was coaching,” said Lara. “As athletic director, I feel like I impact a broader group of kids, though. I take joy in the fact that our kids can succeed in athletics and in life.” Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, Lawson wound up in the mid-south after signing to run track at the University of Memphis in 2015. Once arriving on campus, Lawson finished in the top three 11 times in her college career (seven indoor, four outdoor), earning three triple-jump titles. Lawson was a three-time American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team selection. Lawson served as athletic director at City University School last year before making the move to Marion. “I think I'm a great fit for the job because my dad was a coach and an AD,” said Lawson. “I liked how when I came here, everyone was so welcoming and nice. When I did my research on the school, I felt like it would be a good fit because my philosophy on athletics is the same as ours here.” Lara and Lawson will steer a Marion athletic department that has competed at a high level in virtually every varsity sport over the past decade. Patriot football has averaged almost eight wins per season since 2021, while Marion volleyball has won two of the past three 5A East conference titles and advanced to the quarterfinals (round of eight) five years in a row. Marion girls basketball won the 2017 state championship, while the Patriot boys went all the way in 2019. The Patriot baseball team earned the 2022 Class 5A state title with a sterling 29-5 overall record and a final No. 1 ranking in the state. Marion softball has won 20 games or more six times in the past eight years, and the Patriots played for the 2018 state championship. Participation has swelled for Marion's tennis, cross country, track, golf, soccer, cheer, and gaming programs over the past three years.