Photo: Caylan Nixon
Matthew Adams
Managing Editor
Coach Tomekia Reed has been a force throughout her stint at Jackson State University but as all good things have to come to an end.
Reed’s contract reportedly ended on Easter Sunday.
With the things she has accomplished on the court at Jackson State, I’m not sure that these types of feats can be duplicated. I also don’t think the caliber of transfers and recruits will join this team.
Coach Reed has had six straight playoff berths from 2019 to 2024, which is insane to say the least. She’s like the HBCU Dawn Staley.
Her contract is unfortunately up but there could be some dealings under the table to get her back. I’m not sure what the university has up their sleeves to keep her but I hope that they are able to.
They can honestly make it further into the NCAA tournament if she stays. With her resume here at Jackson State, there can be a boom in any and everything dealing with women’s basketball especially since women’s basketball has been on a rise recently.
If she does leave, I hope a good school is able to get her or maybe even a struggling school so that she can revitalize the team and not just enhance the program but transform it.
It’s not even the playoff berths that will make her a good candidate for a higher level but I think it will be the SWAC Championships that she has gained throughout her stint.
Her record of 18-0 is another thing that makes this free agency bittersweet because I can’t be sure that we will ever get another season like this. Even though they have had a 18-0, every year has been above .500.
The fact that she was able to go back-to-back then go back-to-back again. Then after the back-to-back she was able to win a fifth one. Kind of reminds me of the Bulls from 1991-1996.
To add even more accomplishments to her resume, she was able to make three NCAA tournament appearances. That’s an amazing thing to have on your resume.
Coach Reed ‘s contract started in 2018 and was worth $1 million. Her contract extended from 2018 to 2024.
Possibly getting a new coach will be fine. My thing is if they can fill those heels Reed was known to sport on the court.
These are some insanely large shoes to fill with Coach Reed’s resume and the culture she’s built here. It’s a hard task to accomplish.
I’m not saying it can’t be done but I definitely feel like finding that right coach, possibly, can be a tough thing to do.
I am not sure who the possible candidates are but we can only hope that they are at the level or above Coach Reed ‘s coaching ability.
I believe that if she stays and Jackson State is playing their cards right, she should be staying because it’s not like she doesn’t enjoy Jackson State and the player’s she’s coached from 2018 to now.
From the interviews that I have heard, she has enjoyed herself thoroughly. Even watching some of the women’s games you can see the passion that she has for the game.
I hope we offer her a cool multi-million dollar contract. That would be hard considering all the things that she has done.
I say they give at least $10 million dollars, maybe even 15 million dollars. I know we got that for her but now that I think about it, we have to pay all the other coaches so that multi-million dollar contract might be out the window.
Whatever the case, we thank Coach Reed for all she did for JSU women’s basketball. Wherever she lands, we will be rooting for her…unless it’s another SWAC school that is.
