Aldy retires from coaching after 43 years
In the 11 seasons Holmes Head Coach Ron Aldy coached at Holmes Community College, the women's basketball team made seven postseason appearances with one of them in 1992 resulting in a dramatic 34-1 record which included a MACJC state title, a Region XXIII title and a fifth place finish in the NJCAA tournament finishing with a No. 3 national ranking. He finished with a 156-126 record at Holmes.
After this incredible run in the MACJC along with coaching and administration stints in the MAIS and the Southeastern Conference, Aldy has decided to retire from Holmes Community College after 43 years in coaching. The Holmes Community College Board of Trustees named Aldy's assistant coach Jamilah Johns Andrews as the team's next head coach at Thursday's board meeting.
This year's team came ever-so close to hosting the MACJC State Tournament finishing with an 18-8 overall and 10-4 in the North Division record while making runs in the MACJC State Tournament in Fulton and the Region XXIII Tournament at Mississippi College in Clinton losing in the semi-finals.
Aldy came to Holmes in 1988 and made his first run in the state and region tournament in 1991 and captured the 1991 state championship. In the 1992 season, his team proved to be unstoppable in Mississippi capturing both the state and region titles before falling in the NJCAA Tournament.
After leaving Holmes for an associate head coaching job at Florida, a head coaching job at Ole Miss and an assistant coaching job at Alabama, Aldy returned in 2005 to take over the HCC program once again, and picked up where he left off taking the Lady Bulldogs to the state and region in 2006, the state in 2007 and the state and region in 2008. His teams missed the playoffs in 2009 and 2010 but returned to both the state and regional tournament in 2011 and 2012. He was been named MACJC Coach of the Year twice and Region XXIII Coach of the Year. In 1990, he also developed and implemented the golf program at Holmes.
Aldy, the son of the late Oree and Jay Aldy, grew up in Jackson attending school at Hardy Junior High School and Central High School. After graduating from Central High School, he attended Ole Miss, where he lettered in basketball and baseball.
Ronnie's first position was science teacher and boys basketball coach at Chamberlain Hunt Military Academy from 1969-71. From 1971-88 he served at Kirk Academy as boys basketball, girls basketball, baseball, and golf coach as well as athletic director and principal.
During those 17 years the high school boys won North State 10 times; State AA once; and runner-up in the Overall State Tournament. The girls won North State 14 times; State AA four times; State AAA four times; and the Overall State Tournament four times. The 1977 girls' team won the Southeastern Tournament Championship involving state winners from Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, and Louisiana and the Mississippi-Louisiana Tournament Championship. The 1983 Kirk Golf Team won the Overall State Golf Championship.
Accomplishments while at Kirk included the following basketball honors: Girls North District Coach of the Year, 11 times; Boys North District Coach of the Year, 10 times; Girls State AA Coach of the Year, five times; Girls State AAA Coach of the Year, four times; and Girls Overall State Coach of the Year, four times. He was chosen seven times to serve as North All-Star Coach for the MPSA All-Star Game. During his 17 years at Kirk, the boys' record was 314-185 and the girls' record was 449-110. In August, 2011, Aldy was honored with induction into the MAIS Coaches' Hall of Fame.
At Florida, he served as Associate Head Coach carrying them to five NCAA Tournament appearances (1997 to Elite Eight) and five national rankings. He coached the Lady Rebels at Ole Miss and the Lady Crimson Tide at the University of Alabama.
Due to the fact that his sister, Martha Aldy Whiteside, and nephew, Shan Whiteside, both died of cancer, he is an advocate for cancer prevention research. He has been the featured speaker for Oxford's Relay for Life, Exchange Clubs, and Lions Clubs. He has also spoken at coaches' clinics in Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Oklahoma and attended the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Family Camp in Black Mountain, North Carolina.
Ronnie's hobbies include fishing, hunting, and golfing. He has won several golf club championships in Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. In August, 2011, he won the Mississippi Super Senior State Amateur Championship at Lake Caroline Golf Club, but his highest golf accomplishment was qualification and participation in the USGA Mid-Amateur Championship at Hazeltine Golf Club, Minnetonka, Minn. in 1995.
Ronnie and his wife, Wanda, also a teacher, have been married 44 years. They are the parents of two children: Ronald Jay Aldy, Jr. and Brittany Aldy Myers. Jay and his wife, Sonya, live in San Antonio, Texas. Brittany and her husband, Bill, live in Millbrook, Alabama. The Aldys have four wonderful grandchildren who are the pride of their lives: Skyler and Logan Aldy, and Weston and Jay Myers.