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Otis Harrell has handled many difficult situations during his tenure as a firefighter, first responder and coach, so he’s comfortable stepping into the head coaching role of the Southside boys basketball team after a 3-22 season in 2023-24.

Harrell was the JV head coach last year and assisted first-year varsity coach Trenton Flemming, who was terminated after an off the court incident, last season, so he knows the rebuilding task that lies ahead.

The 6’7 Harrell has been a fixture at Southside since the day the school opened in 2000 and has spent a number of years learning from various coaches in several sports to prepare for this moment.

“There are so many coaches who have influenced me that it’s impossible to name them all,” Harrell said. “Charles Clark, Ron Lee, Ginger Jefferson, Dwayne Kellum, Shaun White and Jerry Hamilton were just a few and I continue to learn from the current coaches. I enjoy helping kids develop into good basketball players, but more importantly, into good citizens. I think I’m ready to take over the varsity job and am excited to get started.

The 53-year Harrell was the Most Valuable Player in the Tobacco Belt Conference his senior year at Chocowinity High School and also was the Washington Daily News county Player of the Year. He had not played high school sports until then because his mother wouldn’t let him after he broke his foot in a junior high school football game.

“I got my dad to sign my physical when my mom wasn’t around,” Harrell said with a laugh. “My senior year was a lot of fun and I’m glad it worked out.”

He earned his Firefighting/EMT certification from Beaufort County Community College and Lenoir CC, which led him into a 32-year career as an emergency room first responder at Beaufort County Hospital.

He also served as the Chocowinity High School first responder for sporting events and kept the same role at Southside when the school opened. He’s seen just about every Seahawk sporting event since then and has coached several sports at the school in addition to teaching the Public Safety/Firefighting course that is open to any student in the county.

“Otis is a staple here and I don’t know what we would do without him,” Southside Athletic Director Andrea Quinerly said. “He will bring stability and discipline to our basketball program and he’s familiar with the kids since he’s already coached most of them. I’m very happy that he agreed to step into the head coaching role.”

“The chance to make a difference in kids’ lives is the best part for me,” Harrell said. “I’ve had several over the years who were headed the wrong way and taking my class helped them graduate and go on to college. Every coach I know has bought food for their players on the road when they forget their money, given them a ride home after practice, helped them buy shoes. That’s just what we do. You help them through tough times, then they come back and leave a note on your door that says, “Thanks for keeping me straight.” That’s better than any state championship.”