By By BRUCE HIXON-Sports Editor
A lot of things have changed over the last 38 years, but Karen Reynolds' face at Jefferson Davis Community College has not been one of them.
That too will also change later this summer, as Reynolds plans to drift off into the sunset of retirement.
Reynolds has occupied numerous positions at JDCC, the last nine years of which have been spent as the school's athletic director.
The installation of women's sports has probably been the biggest change Reynolds has seen during her stint at JDCC.
The installation of women's sports was something Reynolds never visualized as she grew up in Jackson (Miss.). Reynolds graduated from Murrah High School in Jackson and then completed her education with an Associate of Arts degree from Hines Junior College in Mississippi, a Bachelor's and
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Master's degree from the University Southern Mississippi and an Education Specialist Degree from the University of Alabama.
Ironically Reynolds' mother grew up in an area that was way ahead of the times when it comes to women's athletics.
Reynolds, who spent one year in the Baldwin County school system before her arrival at JDCC in 1967, was able to turn the Warhawks and Lady Warhawks tennis program into a national power. Her teams qualified for the national tournament 12 times. The highest national finish for her teams was eighth, the men in 1992 and the women in 1994.
While opponents may not have found a way to beat Reynolds' tennis program, the school did in 2000 when it dropped the program.
Reynolds, who became JDCC athletic director in 1996, has seen plenty of ups and downs during her time at the school.
While some of the dark clouds have centered around the dropping of programs at the school such as women's basketball, tennis and golf, other dark clouds have revolved around coaching departures.
Speaking of Morrill, the school released him of his coaching duties this April as part of a job consolidation move at the school despite the fact his team eventually won the Alabama Community College Conference south division championship.
Reynolds said the ACCC has made her job easier in terms of schedules.
Reynolds was inducted into the ACCC Hall of Fame in 1999 and the NJCAA Women's Tennis Coaches Hall of Fame in 2002.
Reynolds plans to have an active retirement.