As much as Jackson State University women's basketball coach Tomekia Reed knows that now, her journey to this moment has been one of twists, turns and potholes. A fancy building is not going to pick you up out of your dorm and take you to the emergency room. Reed began her collegiate playing career at Southern Miss, helping lead the program to a WNIT appearance before transferring to Hinds CC for the 2000-2001 season. "Coaching at an HBCU is not for the weak," Tomekia Reed wrote on Twitter. Founded, monitored, and run by college coaches. 175 s.3rd street suite 200 columbus ohio 43215 [email . That's why Reed's presence at Jackson State is so impactful. 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. In four seasons as JSUs head coach, Tomekia Reed has led JSU women's basketball to the top of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. 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. Reed replaces former coach Surina Dixon, under whom Jackson State compiled an 82-93 record (55-53 SWAC; 1-3 SWAC Tournament) over the past six seasons. Why are we not valued? Jackson State University Apply Now! WHERE YOU WANT TO GO. SLAM: As a former hooper, was there a specific moment that paved the way for a career in coaching? In the end, her Tigers survived, 83-77. He does a lot of social media marketing for myself and our program and for other sports as well. Yes, there are schools out there with the ability to pay Reed more who might be interested in hiring her away from JSU. And, she very well may endup coaching elsewhere. But I did the dirty work and I think all of that translates to who I am today. TR: Im excited because were finally big at every position, now its going to come down to the game strategizing, and just getting them mentally understanding [that] we wake up and get dressed the same way they wake up and get dressedwe have an opportunity, a shot at this thing the same way they have a shot at it. The man behind those moves was Ashley Robinson, recently named AD of The Year and the recipient of a new contract himself earlier this month. Reed led Hinds CC to the NJCAA Region 23 title game in 2017. A fancy building is not going to talk to you when youre sadI am and I will, and Im here for you. And of course, you know, Jackson, Mississippi is my hometown. But now its time to bring the respect [and] acknowledge that, hey, this is a good institution. Enter and space open menus and escape closes them as well. "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. 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. 14 seed in the NCAA women's basketball tournament. Williams was also named Defensive Player of the Year. 3-seeded LSU in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament by ignoring it and managing the game . TOMEKIA REED MEETS EMMITT SMITH Jackson State women's basketball coach Tomekia Reed meets Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith Reed knows that Black people have created immense. The Lady Tigers opened conference play with a 12-0 start, which is the program best. Head Women's Basketball Coach JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY 20, '22 SWAC Coach of the Year '20, '21, '22 SWAC Reg Season . With three consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference championships, the Lady Tigers are off to a 3-0 start in SWAC play this season. They're still ongoing. Kim Mulkey knew her LSU team was fortunate to come out on top against Jackson State, and she said as much in her post-game press conference.Its not that she was surprised, either. 1 seed in the 2020 SWAC Tournament before COVID-19 caused the cancellation of postseason play. HOW LSU CHANGED JSU WOMEN'S BASKETBALLHow a regret in NCAA Tournament near upset of LSU changed Jackson State women's basketball, When I am in the game, Reed said. But if anybody could take anything away from it, it's that we can and we will. A perennial Southwestern Athletic Conference power emerged. . 1 ranked recruiting classes in the state of Mississippi in both 2010 and 2011. A couple months later, Williams enrolled at Jackson State. We're knocking on walls. "I am thankful for AD Robinson's commitment to our program and we will have several more outstanding seasons to come.". - Jackson State University is pleased to announce a four-year contract extension for head women's basketball coach Tomekia Reed. The words of the LSU coach may sting to some JSU and HBCU supporters, but they are valid in the capitalistic society we live in. Off the court, she is classy and elegant. Always that one that was helping and I put my hands in everything and thats who I am as a head coach right now. She was chosen as an All-State first-team selection. The coaching staff films practices and games, and will go over the team's negative emotional plays. 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 . She's helped me believe. 2021. She signed two of Georgias top athletes and one of Mississippis finest Dandy Dozen players. As black female coaches in a HBCU environment we are the most slept on and the most disrespected ever. Yeah, football is doing a great job. To learn more about the past and present of the BCA, and to register as a member of the BCA, clickhere. There was Reed, stalking the sidelines as the architect, the personable and empathetic recruiter, who'd taken the job in 2018 with no prior Division I head-coaching experience. If you can reach 100,000 people with a tweet or with a post, thats phenomenal, and it helps us in so many ways. Other responsibilities included strength and conditioning liaison, player development, community service coordinator, and summer basketball camp coordinator. Jackson State University is excited to announce Tomekia Reed as the Tigers Head Women's Basketball Coach. 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. In 2021-22, Jackson State boasted SWAC champions in football, women's basketball, and other sports. Under terms of that contract, he wouldn't owe a buyout for leaving Michigan State at this time. There was Williams-Holliday, a once-prized recruit who'd left Mississippi State in 2017 and fallen off the basketball map. State Super Of Public Education. She earned an associates degree in sports medicine from Hinds in 2001 and a bachelors in exercise science from Georgia Southwestern in 2003. Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a celebration of the civil-rights icon's life, but it's also one of remembering her late mother, Edith Mae Reed, whose birthday is was on that day. Another strong statement. And she wasnt wrong. Reed, who signed a four-year contract extension with JSU in 2020 after only two seasons as head coach, has taken the program to great heights in a short amount of time. 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. Copyright 2002-2023 Blackboard, Inc. All rights reserved. Reed said she looks at where Black people are now. 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? Jackson State lost to Prairie View 69-65 at the William Nicks Building on Saturday. Reed and her brother were. The 2007-08 JSU squad captured the SWAC Tournament championship and made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. TOMEKIA REED: When I played basketball I was not the most talented, I was just an extremely hard worker. The upset of LSU was the storybook ending, the tale that would have overtaken the tournament. 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? The video made its way to Mulkey, who said it became bulletin board material, but the Lady Tigers didn't care. 22.5K followers. An anxious Jackson State women's basketball coach Tomekia Reed tried to steal a victory over No. Reed comes to Jackson State following a successful three-year stint as coach of the Hinds Community College women's basketball team. However, during the early stages of her tenure, there were moments when the direction of the program wasn't always clear. After the final buzzer sounded Saturday, and LSU narrowly staved off what would have been one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournamentwomen's basketball history,coachKim Mulkeyhad a message for Jackson State coach Tomekia Reed. With the Lady Tigers down 15, Reed got T'd up. Reed comes to Ruston after spending the past three years at Southern Miss, one at UL-Lafayette, three at Jackson State and two at South Georgia Technical College. Jackson State is turning to a Jackson native to lead its women's basketball program. University of Colorado football coach Deion Sanders is facing backlash over comments he made about recruiting players. 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. She'd decided she was done with hoops, with college. In a cauldron of noise and intensity, LSU responded with an 11-0 run of its own. "We have to continue to knock on walls to get respect.". How they taught her the importance of being proud of being Black and dressing well, along with other life lessons. SLAM: As a Jackson, Miss., native and a former assistant coach for the program, how has this journey come full circle for you after winning the SWAC championship the past two seasons? She led the program to its first SWAC regular-season championship in over 10 years and has set the foundation for continued success. It doesnt matter what people say about us, it doesnt matter, the respect that we dont get. All Rights Reserved |, Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center, Prospective Student-Athlete Questionnaire, Walter Payton Health and Recreation Center, Walter Payton Center Membership Application, Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium Map. Off the court, she is classy and elegant. LSU's Kim Mulkey has a running diatribe with the referees. When Jordan was hired by Tucker, he signed a two-year contract with an annual salary of $225,000. The Tigers' athletic department described his extension as a "multi-year" deal. I havent called yet, but Im certainly going to call because I want to know, why are we looked at as less than? 9 once. So to be able to do this in my community, it means a lot to me. Jackson State extended Reed back in 2020 as she quickly put the program from the SWAC cellar to among its elite. She said she didn't like to run. She cited personal reasons. Ive always been someone who cared dearly about everybody; players, coaches, managers. ", More:Jackson State football will play in 2021 Orange Blossom Classic in Miami, More:Jackson State men's basketball manager 'Snacks' wins ESPY. 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. I just wanted to put it out there, I had no idea it was going to reach as many people as it did. She transitioned to online classes while taking care of him, working late at night on a laptop Reed had shipped her, sometimes with Jace in her lap. 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. Jackson State University head women's basketball coach Tomekia Reed gives insight on what it's like coaching at an HBCU in recent tweets. History beckoned. "Could you please respond to let me know that you're OK?" Coach Brent and his staff have done a fantastic job recruiting and have the roster in place to win a SWAC championship, Robinson said. We have to continue to fight for our culture. Jackson State football will play in 2021 Orange Blossom Classic in Miami, Jackson State men's basketball manager 'Snacks' wins ESPY, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Reed led Hinds CC to the NJCAA Region 23 title game in 2017. "But now it's time to come back and knock the walls down.". Coach Reed has done a tremendous job and has elevated the program in her two short years on the job, Robinson said. This year's mark of 23 wins is the highest in program history, including a historic 18-0 record in SWAC play, surpassing a program-best 16 wins in 2020. 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. The SWAC honored Reed as the Coach of the Year after. Our conference. Others are about getting her team going. 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. 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. And I would like to say our Athletic Director has opened the gate to level the playing field for HBCUs by bringing Deion on board. Copyright 2023, Jackson State University Athletics. 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. They clawed back, to within seven, then five. Mississippi Department of Public Safety, Forensics Laboratory. trademarks of Slam Media Inc. All rights reserved. Now hell have to work to make sure shes comfortably compensated because schools with more resources to put into womens basketball than JSU will definitely be taking note of Reed in a new light.Yes, HBCUs deserve great coaches that recognize their importance to not only their institution but the culture as well. "She led the program to its first SWAC regular-season championship in over 10 years and has set the foundation for continued success. 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 developed into a WNBA prospect. Reed is a two-time SWAC Coach of The Year (2020, 2022). Reed offers officials "The Scowl" a combination. I was extremely smart. While there, she served as the top assistant also worked with post players at JSU and served as the teams academic liaison. Follow. 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. She won SWAC Player of the Year. The Blue and White finished conference play with a 16-2 mark which tied the program record. I don't know what y'all say but all I feel is a loss. But it is obvious that Reeds star is on the rise, and true to Mulkeys words, her pay will have to rise as well. This season's No. She served as the top assistant, worked with post players, and served as the teams academic liaison. After graduating from Murrah, she began her collegiate basketball career at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. 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. All rights reserved. For Jackson State women's coach Tomekia Reed, living with the last part of LSU's 19-3 run in an 83-77 loss against to the Tigers in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament has been tough.. finley, 36, will make $450,000 in base salary a year, $175,000 more than her predecessor, cam . And when the change starts, it's going to go across the board. It drew laughs from people in the media room in Baton Rouge after LSU's 83-77 win. 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. Up and Down arrows will open main level menus and toggle through sub tier links. They earned plenty of it Saturday, even if they didn't quite earn history. Head WBB Coach, Jackson State University . HBCUs have had great head coaches in the past and there are many good ones around in the present, particularly given what they have to work with. During that time, the Lady Tigers claimed the SWAC regular-season championship and made a WNIT appearance in 2006-07. Williams responded that day. Tomekia Reed is a hot commodity as a speaker, leader, and head coach. Tomekia Reed and her intimidating scowl were on full display during the HBCU GO broadcast with legendary Charlie Neal calling the play-by-play, as the Lady Tigers rebounded from Saturday's. The comment was meant as a feel-good sign of respect. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. We have to continue to knock on walls to get respect. Earlier this month it announced another Jackson hometown hero coming in as head coach in former NBA champion Mo Williams. Coach Reed and her staff have done a great job recruiting and I expect her to continue to raise the bar.The 2019-20 JSU womens basketball season will go down in program history as one of the most dominant. its time to come back and knock the walls down.. So thats why Im excited about this team. 14 seed for Jackson State (23-7) is the program's highest since 1983 when there were only 36 teams. "We're knocking on walls," Reed continued. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. All had failed. Saturdays 83-77 win over the SWAC champions marked the second time in as many seasons as shes had to go through JSU to get to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Monday could bring a litany of thoughts, looking back at early mornings of being together with her mom as they prepared Thanksgiving dinners. ", "She has grown tremendously," Reed said. Reed comes to JSU after a successful three-year stint at Hinds Community College. Nine years ago, I wrote a piece in the infancy of HBCU Gameday called A Good HBCU coach is Hard to Keep. It hasnt been as frequent as I thought it might be back then, but my money says Tomekia Reed will have plenty of options on the table. Reed transferred to Georgia Southwestern State University after her time at Hinds, where she led the team in scoring (finishing second in the conference) and earned the teams most valuable player award. SLAM: What were the feelings and emotions you had that led to your tweet back in August? Six months after that, she gave birth to her son, Jace. I too one day, Reed said. 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 . 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. And it shouldnt change seeing yourself on a higher platform. Reed plans on posting a social media message and putting it next to one of Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous quotes, and letting all athletes and HBCU athletes know their voice matters. She told reporters that in her post-game conversation I respect the job shes done and that shes a heck of her coach, and her kids played their hearts out. It hadn't materialized, but it's the scene Jackson State had envisioned too, the scenario that would have made them March darlings. Jackson State women's basketball coach Tomekia Reed commented about the true commitment it takes to navigate within the framework of the unique environment. Reed had screamed when brackets were released. REED BALANCES CHRISTMAS AND HER SONJackson State women's basketball coach Tomekia Reed balances sport, Christmas for her son, We want to use our emotions as a positive, Reed said. They were 15.5-point dogs, but on cue, they rose early in the second half. During that time, the Lady Tigers claimed the SWAC regular-season championship (2007), made WNIT appearances in 2006 and 2007, and won the SWAC tournament championship in 2008, making it the program's fourth NCAA Tournament appearance. 14 seed in the NCAA women's basketball tournament. But they also have to provide a competitive salary as their rising stars continue to shine more brightly with each passing year. Jackson State Women's Coach Tomekia Reed Joins Tiger Talk Tiger Talk With The 1400 Klub 2.13K subscribers 5.6K views 3 weeks ago 3X SWAC champion women's basketball coach Tomekia. A raucous crowd at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center fell silent. Neither had its conference, nor any No. LSU coach Kim Mulkey said Tomekia Reed wont be at Jackson State long if they dont pay her. Tomekia Reed always knew coaching at Jackson State was a goal she wanted to achieve. Football is always respected. She helped lead the program to a WNIT appearance before transferring to Hinds Community College for the 2000-2001 season. Its something I prayed for. Im extremely tough with my teams as a coach and, you know, have that basketball IQ to be able to teach and lead. SLAMhas partnered with theBlack Coaches Associationon a content series that will spotlight Black coaches from every level. She's made three of the last four NCAA Tournaments and she almost upstaged Mulkey despite having a fraction of the resources. 2,973 following. She wasn't a big-time coach in need of a center. We have to fight for our conference, Reed said. Jackson State extended Reed back in 2020 as she quickly put the program from the SWAC cellar to among its elite. For Reed, not all technical fouls are bad, some are about gamesmanship to get a call later in the game. People who follow us, they see we brought in Power Five transfers, five-star recruits, three-star recruits, were doing our thing. 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. I got playing time because I just had that toughness. I had a very high basketball IQ and I was a great leader. Jackson State women's basketball coach Tomekia Reed after loss to LSU: 'We're gonna keep knocking', Jackson State women's basketball falls short of historic upset of LSU in NCAA Tournament, How a game of 1-on-1 basketball changed Ameshya Williams-Holliday's last name, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Develop Your Personal Mission Statement & Compelling Vision. "The opportunity to continue working with our student-athletes, assistant coaches, and support staff is a journey that I embrace. Reed won Coach of the Year. And nobody, not a soul outside Jackson, Mississippi, expected the 112th to succeed. In an interview, Sanders spoke about how quarterbacks need to have a 3.5 GPA or higher. Reed wrote. Identify Target Roles. Jackson State head coach Tomekia Reed was already an accomplished head coach before LSU's Kim Mulkey gave her what some felt was a back-handed comment after nearly beating her squad this March.