For the second time in less than a year, Porters Chapel Academy has a new baseball coach.

Doug Branning said Wednesday that he stepped down to focus on his duties as the school’s headmaster. He’ll turn over the program to 25-year-old assistant coach and Sumrall native Jerry Bourne.

“Doug has done a great job of making it an easy transition for me,” Bourne said. “There’s always pressure when you become a head coach whether you’re rebuilding a program or taking over a program with the tradition that PCA has. I just want to give the kids the knowledge on the little things that win or lose ballgames and the winning and losing will take care of itself.”

Branning was hired as PCA’s headmaster last spring and agreed to be the baseball coach when Randy Wright retired after leading the Eagles to their third Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Class A championship in seven seasons.

Branning, who had previously coached at Vicksburg High, Warren Central and Tallulah Academy, said trying to lead both a baseball team and a school was too much, however.

Branning coached his last game on March 9, guiding PCA to a doubleheader sweep of district rival Rebul. Bourne coached the Eagles in three games at the Canton Academy Tournament in Jackson last weekend. He’ll make his home debut on Monday against Parklane.

“My real job, which is headmaster, and coaching baseball ran into each other. I don’t know that I was doing a good job with either one,” Branning said. “It was just the reality of it. I was being pulled in so many different directions and I didn’t feel like I could do it.”

PCA is preparing for an accreditation review by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, which is a key requirement for PCA’s academic standing. The demands of preparing for the review, the everyday duties of the headmaster job, and the long after-school hours on the baseball field left Branning stretched thin.

“That’s our Super Bowl. Things need to fall into place and it doesn’t get done by itself,” Branning said.

Bourne played shortstop in college at William Carey, starting 39 games in 2006. He’s in his first year as an assistant football and baseball coach at PCA. Despite Bourne’s young age, Branning had faith that he could do the job as head coach.

“The first thing that’s obvious is his knowledge of the game. He was a pitcher and a shortstop in college and has obviously had some very good coaches along the way himself,” Branning said. “He’s a very good communicator with the kids and a teacher of the game. If I didn’t think Jerry was ready we would have figured something else out. But obviously, he’s ready.”

Contact Ernest Bowker at ebowker@vicksburgpost.com