When the St. Aloysius Flashes assemble today for their first full practice of the 2011 season, they’ll have a new coach.

It just won’t be the one they thought.

On the eve of the official start of baseball season in Mississippi, St. Al coach Chris Wright announced his resignation. He’s heading back to his native Columbus to care for his ill grandfather and will be replaced by Jacan Warren, a 22-year-old former student assistant at Mississippi College.

“I have a family illness back home. It’s been a very tough decision for my wife and I, but we have to take care of our family and do what’s best for them,” Wright said. “It’s tough enough to leave even if it was back in November, but the day before the season makes it even harder.”

Wright was hired in June, when Clint Wilkerson resigned after six seasons at the helm. Wilkerson, who led the Flashes to Class 1A championships in 2009 and 2010, has since taken a job as an assistant coach at Hinds Community College.

The success St. Al enjoyed under Wilkerson turned its head coaching job into one of the most desirable in Mississippi. Wright, previously an assistant at New Hope, worked with the team on offseason conditioning and instruction through the fall. This was his first head coaching job, but he said the family emergency will put that career on hold indefinitely.

“At least for now, it’s going to be nursing. At least for the next year or two,” said Wright, who is a registered nurse. “I’ve been waiting for Feb. 1 all summer. To have to leave it like this is something I was not looking forward to.”

Wright informed St. Al’s administration of his intentions last week. St. Al athletic director Jim Taylor made a round of phone calls to area coaches to get recommendations for a qualified replacement. The search led to Warren, who a week ago was a student assistant coach at Mississippi College. He played at MC in 2009 and 2010, and at Jones County Junior College and Greene County High School before that.

Warren is still a student at MC. He’s scheduled to complete work on his degree in Kinesiology in August.

Among those vouching for Warren was Hinds Community College’s Sam Temple, a Vicksburg native. Temple called Warren to gauge his interest, but didn’t mention St. Al’s recent success or even where the job was. That hardly mattered to Warren.

“I actually missed the call. I got halfway through the voicemail and heard ‘head coach’ and hung up the phone and called him right back,” Warren said with a laugh. “He didn’t even tell me what school it was, and he said the pay might not be the best. I told him the pay didn’t make any difference if I got to be a head coach at 22 years old.”

Warren interviewed late last week and was offered the job on Friday. Taylor wasn’t concerned about Warren’s youth. He said St. Al has been down that road before and feels it landed an up-and-coming coach.

“I think we’re extremely lucky. He’s got a good baseball background,” Taylor said. “This will be his first high school head coaching experience. So was Clint’s, and so was probably most of the other baseball coaches here. Hopefully, if things go well, he’ll be with us through summer and next year after he gets his degree.”

Likewise, Warren said he was ready for the challenge and pressure that will come from leading a program.

“Having the head coach tag on your back comes with a lot of responsibilities,” he said. “If you don’t think you’re grown up, you’ve got to grow up quick.”

Warren inherits a state champion in rebuilding mode. There are only two seniors on the roster, although several underclassmen saw significant playing time during last year’s title run. One of the best of them, though, is gone. Pitcher and first baseman Reed Evans transferred to Hillcrest Christian School in Jackson last summer.

Warren is hoping hard work will make up for some of the roster’s youth.

“I’m a little nervous, but just with the baseball aspect of it I’m going to be fine,” Warren said. “The team’s young, but my expectations are going to be high. As a player not that long ago they were high, and mine as a coach aren’t going to be any different.”