SLAM: What about your latest class has you most excited for this upcoming season? Williams responded that day. Tomekia Reed. ", More:Jackson State football will play in 2021 Orange Blossom Classic in Miami, More:Jackson State men's basketball manager 'Snacks' wins ESPY. "Today is a very special . Reed also had assistant coaching stops at Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Lafayette, and New Orleans, serving as recruiting coordinator at each school during her respective stints. "Even though this is her last game for Jackson State University," Reed said of Williams-Holliday, "she is gonna continue to open the door for our conference, for our institution, for our HBCU community. But lets also shine a light on other sports and what other people are doing. At JSU, she also worked as an academic liaison and assistant coach, focusing primarily on the post players. We have to make a strong statement in the preseason next year. She's helped me believe. "I don't care," Reed told her. $290,000.00. And it's also why Mulkey's comment, while well-intentioned, may come off as tone deaf to those who take the time to listento what Reed had to say. 2,973 following. Always that one that was helping and I put my hands in everything and thats who I am as a head coach right now. And so with that being said, our focus is not just in conference, competing in conference, our focus is being dominant and having a voice and being competitive out of conference. Why arent we important to this game of basketball that we love and study and have been a part of for so long, just as much as the others have? The 2007-08 JSU squad captured the SWAC Tournament championship and made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Also to celebrate the life of African American leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr., and the Civil Rights movements. Named Jackson State University head coach in 2018, Reed joined JSU following a successful three-year stint as coach of the Hinds Community College womens basketball team. Tomekia Reed always knew coaching at Jackson State was a goal she wanted to achieve. I just wanted to put it out there, I had no idea it was going to reach as many people as it did. So to be able to do this in my community, it means a lot to me. Brent, a former longtime high school coach and Clarion Ledger Metro Coach of the Year, made the decision to put team manager Thomas "Snacks" Lee late in a game on senior night. We have to continue to knock on walls to get respect. Another strong statement. We may not have the fancy buildings, but we are moving and changing lives, and developing and winning championships just like anybody else on any other level. Youre going to take a cheap bus to your games. Shes also coached at Southern Miss, Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Lafayette, New Orleans and Hinds CC, where she led her alma-mater to two consecutive winning seasons and the NJCAA Region 23 title game during her three-year tenure. This past season Reed was named SWAC Coach of the Year and Ameshya Williams, Marneisha Hamer, and Dayzsha Rogan were named to the all-conference team. She was chosen as an All-State first-team selection. Six months after that, she gave birth to her son, Jace. Reed began her coaching career at South Georgia Technical College, where she served as assistant womens basketball coach for three seasons. Yeah, football is doing a great job. For Reed, not all technical fouls are bad, some are about gamesmanship to get a call later in the game. Earlier this month it announced another Jackson hometown hero coming in as head coach in former NBA champion Mo Williams. Its something I prayed for. And Saturday she nearly added a monumental 14-3 upset to that resume after leading LSU by double-digits.After the game, Reed said all the right things about JSU, the SWAC and HBCUs as her team made fans of all three entities proud on Saturday afternoon. Tomekia Reed earns an extension after leading Jackson State to a regular season title. Reed, who is in her fifth season at JSU, has posted an 85-45 mark and 64-10 record in SWAC action, which includes tying the single-season wins record (23) last season, three consecutive. She earned an associates degree in sports medicine from Hinds in 2001 and a bachelors in exercise science from Georgia Southwestern in 2003. Ameshya Williams-Holliday, their star player who doubles as a wife and mother, Reed had screamed when brackets were released, Six months after that, she gave birth to her son, Jace, met her husband by beating him in one-on-one basketball. We're knocking on walls, you've accomplished some things that haven't been accomplished in this in this program, in this conference but now it's time to come back and knockthe walls down.". SLAM: What are those levels youre addressing? Jackson State pays its football coach Deion Sanders less than a fifth of that. Tomekia Reed is a hot commodity as a speaker, leader, and head coach. Re-Engaging in Education for All to Progress, 662 S. President Street, Jackson, MS 39201, Blackboard Web Community Manager Privacy Policy (Updated). But, it's the exact opposite of the kind of respect Reed said she wanted to bring to Jackson State and HBCUs as a whole after the game. Jackson State extended Reed back in 2020 as she quickly put the program from the SWAC cellar to among its elite. In the end, her Tigers survived, 83-77. Yes, there are schools out there with the ability to pay Reed more who might be interested in hiring her away from JSU. Kim Mulkey and Tomekia Reed embrace. We dont have those things, so you know what, that makes me work harder. But I did the dirty work and I think all of that translates to who I am today. Amidst all the shade, the Tigers finished their season with a 18-6 record and a trip to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2008, where they faced Baylor in the first round. A couple months later, Williams enrolled at Jackson State. I want my players to know I am fighting for them. But it is obvious that Reeds star is on the rise, and true to Mulkeys words, her pay will have to rise as well. Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Forensics Laboratory. Jackson State University is excited to announce Tomekia Reed as the Tigers Head Women's Basketball Coach. He does a lot of social media marketing for myself and our program and for other sports as well. Lee made a deep 3-pointer and the basket went viral and the moment brought Jackson State its first ESPY in school history. The No. She helped lead the program to a WNIT appearance before transferring to Hinds Community College for the 2000-2001 season. Other transfers and high-school recruits followed. Tomekia Reed's scowls draw technical fouls and often help Jackson State women's basketball, Jackson State women's basketball coach Tomekia Reed meets Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. She thinks back to seeing MLK's famous moments and seeing his speeches and what he believed in and for the reality for Black people to be living in it right now, and the feeling is great. But it is obvious that Reed's star is on the rise, and true to Mulkey's words, her pay will have to rise as well. Lopsided games, such as South Carolina's 79-21 first-round win over Howard, make it easy to see why some view HBCU coaching jobs as a stepping stone to get to other positions. That look has earned her more technical fouls than any words she has spoken to an official during a game. SLAM: While youre surrounded by Black peers at the coaching level in the SWAC, how do you juggle the responsibilities and influence you carry as a Black woman in this space? One-hundred and . HOUSTON - Center Daphne White recorded a double-double with 13 points, 12 rebounds, and a block as the Jackson State Lady Tigers dominated the Texas Southern Lady Tigers 87-58 as 1,284 fans . The youngest and only girl in a family of three brothers, Reed grew up as just one of the boys. Jackson State University Apply Now! Hinds CC won a combined 47 games under Reed, including consecutive winning seasons in 2016-17 and 2017-18. Reed had screamed when brackets were released. LSU coach Kim Mulkey said Tomekia Reed wont be at Jackson State long if they dont pay her. They began corresponding regularly. 2021. Head Women's Basketball Coach JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY 20, '22 SWAC Coach of the Year '20, '21, '22 SWAC Reg Season . She was chosen as an All-State first-team selection. A native of Jackson, Miss., Reed was Jackson States womens basketball recruiting coordinator from 2006-2009. However, during the early stages of her tenure, there were moments when the direction of the program wasn't always clear. She was just an adult who cared about a struggling young woman. Founded, monitored, and run by college coaches. "As a young lady, as a woman, as a wife, as a mother. I want to help you get through this. It doesnt matter what people say about us, it doesnt matter, the respect that we dont get. We will continue to transform the lives of our young men and be champions on the court and in the classroom.. I want him to be cognizant of the way he uses his voice and the words he uses to express his thoughts and opinions., MO WILLIAMS TALKS ABOUT M.L. The SWAC honored Reed as the Coach of the Year after. That's why Reed's presence at Jackson State is so impactful. That passion has cost and inspired her team at times: In last year's NCAA opening-round tournament game against LSU, Reed received a technical foul and the bench one as well. Other responsibilities included strength and conditioning liaison, player development, community service coordinator, and summer basketball camp coordinator. He is bringing more respect to the HBCU community, I will say that. She has assisted in bringing several high-ranking recruiting classes, including the 2014 class at Louisiana Tech, which garnered a national Top 50 ranking and was the second-highest ranked class in Conference USA. I had Power Five ADs reach out to me and say, Hey, lets talk about this. Off the court, she is classy and elegant. And to be able to be a part of a championship team then, and to be able to come back years later, and take us back to that point, its just been a phenomenal experience. Brent has led Jackson State to a 21-18 record in conference play the past two seasons. Reed has the unique distinction of being a part of every JSU women's basketball national tournament appearance since 2006, including being on the coaching staff of three of JSU's six NCAA Tournament games. Reed is a two-time SWAC Coach of The Year (2020, 2022). It was at Hinds that Reed led the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) in rebounds per game and was also second in the conference in scoring. While many people took Mulkey's commentary as subversive, Reed told Ralph Cooper of KCOH Radio that she didn't see it that way at all. I got playing time because I just had that toughness. She led the program to its first SWAC regular-season championship in over 10 years and has set the foundation for continued success. "I am extremely thankful and honored that President Thomas Hudson and Vice President and Director of Athletics Ashley Robinson saw fit for me to remain at the helm of the JSU women's basketball program," Reed said in a school release Friday. For this year, we want to go in at least 8 to12never, ever done before. . In JSU's game against Texas, Longhorns coach Vic Schaefer chewed on areferee until he received a technical. It hadn't materialized, but it's the scene Jackson State had envisioned too, the scenario that would have made them March darlings. tomekia.reed@hindscc.edu Phone 601.885.7023 Tomekia Reed was chosen as the new head women's basketball coach at Hinds Community College, her alma mater, on Friday, April 10, 2015. The late Pat Summitt had the stare arms crossed as she would glare at a referee. The Lady Tigers won 21 straight. All rights reserved. 5 min read. In making the program's second straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and the first as a #14 seed, Jackson State led in the fourth quarter in nearly achieving an historic tournament win over #3 LSU. "I am thankful for AD Robinson's commitment to our program and we will have several more outstanding seasons to come.". During its 27 NCAA Tournament appearances, LSU (26-5) has only. Develop Your Personal Mission Statement & Compelling Vision. #RiseTheUnderdog, You know, that was something Ive been feeling for a very long time, Reed says over a Zoom call in August. Reed led Hinds CC to the NJCAA Region 23 title game in 2017. They still exist. Reed offers officials "The Scowl" a combination of an attitude, with her hands on her hips, lips pouted out, a shake of the head, and a talk-to-the-hand posture she has perfected. ", Get to know Jackson State women's basketball's Dayzsha Rogan. Im doing film, Im cleaning, Im mopping the floor, Im sweeping the floor, Im washing uniforms, I do it all, on top of game strategizing, on top of recruiting. They cant even take charter flights anywhere. Jackson State is turning to a Jackson native to lead its women's basketball program. The upset of LSU was the storybook ending, the tale that would have overtaken the tournament. A raucous crowd at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center fell silent. SLAMhas partnered with theBlack Coaches Associationon a content series that will spotlight Black coaches from every level. How a regret in NCAA Tournament near upset of LSU changed Jackson State women's basketball, Jackson State women's basketball coach Tomekia Reed balances sport, Christmas for her son, Why Kim Mulkey saying Tomekia Reed won't be at Jackson State long isn't the compliment she thinks it is, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. And she wasnt wrong. But the beginning and middle of this story? While there, she served as the top assistant also worked with post players at JSU and served as the teams academic liaison. Jackson State pays its football coach Deion Sanders less than a fifth of that. And of course, you know, Jackson, Mississippi is my hometown. But she wasnt kidding and she wasnt wrong.Reed has taken JSU womens basketball to new heights since arriving as head coach in 2018, including back-to-back undefeated SWAC regular seasons and tournament titles along with NCAA appearances. The Lady Tigers (6-7, 3-0 SWAC) travel to Prairie View A&M (6-9, 3-1 SWAC) for a 3 p.m. tipoff Saturday. Often, her feelings lay bare in front of fans, friends, and player. Identify Target Roles. Tomekia Reed - Women's Basketball Coach - Jackson State University Tomekia Reed Title Head Coach Phone 601-979-2818 In four seasons as head coach, Tomekia Reed has led Jackson State University women's basketball to the top of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. TOMEKIA REED SCOWL DRAWS TECHNICAL FOULSTomekia Reed's scowls draw technical fouls and often help Jackson State women's basketball The season changed in a 75-58 loss to Texas on Dec. 14, a rare . Jackson State women's basketball coach Tomekia Reed coaches the game with passion and attitude. 9 once. "Hey, Kim Mulkey got it coming baby!" Reed comes to JSU after a successful three-year stint at Hinds Community College. Copyright 2023, Jackson State University Athletics. This March Madness story, of a player-mother and her caring coach, who almost led Jackson State to an upset of LSU, deserves to be told. - Jackson State University is pleased to announce a four-year contract extension for head women's basketball coach Tomekia Reed. 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We have to continue to fight for our culture. Jackson State opens its season against the Buffs. Since then, however, JSU has added Deion Sanders which has put the school in another stratosphere. And Im not her agent. WHERE YOU WANT TO GO. Enter and space open menus and escape closes them as well. Martin Luther King Jr., Reed said, I often think about all of the things he fought for. She served as the top assistant, worked with post players, and served as the teams academic liaison. But then the Lady Tigers, led by Tomekia Reed, their inspirational coach, and by Ameshya Williams-Holliday, their star player who doubles as a wife and mother, nearly did the unthinkable. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. Not with leaders like Reed; and players like Crump, who had 21 points Saturday, and who's just a junior. Feb 4, 2023 8:45 AM EST. "Honestly, my message after today's game waswe have to continue to fight for our institution, our conference, we have to continue to fight for our culture," Reed said. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A familiar face will head the Jackson State women's basketball program as Tomekia Reed has been selected as the new head coach for Lady Tigers. They stormed back from down 47-30 to take a stunning 10-point lead. Mulkeys comments rubbed some people the wrong way as she knew they would if she said them. Jackson State University is pleased to announce a four-year contract extension for head womens basketball coach Tomekia Reed. They earned plenty of it Saturday, even if they didn't quite earn history. 3 min read Jackson State women's basketball coach Tomekia Reed is not only a success on the basketball court, but she's a woman of deep conviction and emotions..