Isaiah Brydie
Blue & White Flash / Staff Writer
Wayne Brent, considered one of the most successful basketball coaches in the history of Jackson Public Schools, has been named to lead the Jackson State University Men’s Basketball team. Brent’s appointment will make him the seventh head coach of the men’s basketball team.
The announcement was made on Monday, March 25 during a press conference at the JSU Sports Hall of Fame.
According to JSU Media Relations, Brent brings over 15 years of coaching experience at the high school and collegiate levels to JSU. He comes to Jackson State after leading Callaway High School to the 2013 state championship.
“There are certain goals that I have set for this program. I want to give guys a chance to dream,” said Brent during the press conference, adding that he’d like the team to reach the NCAA Tournament in the next few years.
From 1998-1999 through 2000-2001, Brent served as an assistant men’s basketball coach at the University of Mississippi. While at Ole Miss, the Rebels made three NCAA tournament appearances and a post-season NIT appearance. Ole Miss finished with a 27-8 record, won the Southeastern Conference Western Division title, won the SEC Tournament and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament. Prior to serving as an assistant at Ole Miss, he was the head coach at Provine High School.
In his six seasons at Provine, Brent compiled a record of 116-65. The Rams had only one losing season under Brent’s direction, which also was his first losing season. In the final two seasons at Provine, the Rams won the state of Mississippi Class 5A title (1998) and finished ranked No. 25 in the final USA Today Boys High School Top 25 poll.
“He has won at every level of basketball he has touched,” said JSU Athletics Director Vivian Fuller during the press conference. “We are excited today.”
Most recently, Brent was the head coach of the Callaway Chargers Men’s Basketball team. From 2007-08 through 2012-13, his teams have won five division championships and four state championships.
Brent is a 1989 graduate of Northeast Louisiana University, where he played two seasons for the Indian basketball program in 1987-1988 and 1988-1989. Northeast finished the 1987-1988 season with a 21-9 mark, placed second in the Southland Conference and received a National Invitational Tournament (NIT) bid. The 1988-1989 team had a 17-12 record and also finished second in the Southland Conference.
Following graduation, Brent served as a graduate assistant coach at Northeast Louisiana for two years (1989-1990 and 1990-1991). During his two seasons as a graduate assistant, the Indians posted back-to-back 20-win campaigns (23-8 in 1989-1990; 25-8 in 1990-1991), won consecutive Southland Conference titles and advanced to two straight NCAA Tournaments.
Brent holds three degrees from Northeast Louisiana University, including a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism (1989), a Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Performance (1992) and a Master’s of Education in Health and Human Performance (1992).
“He’s got his priorities right. The first thing you do is thank God and family. He just told you how he has learned from the experiences that he’s had. It really is a privilege to welcome him to our family,” said JSU President Carolyn W. Meyers during the press conference. “It takes a strong man to say it took a lot of people to get him here today.”
Meyers thanked outgoing coach, Tevester Anderson, for his work during his tenure. She said she could see the imprint he has left on the student-athletes when she talked to them.
Meyers also praised the caliber of the athletes at JSU.
“What impresses me is that what we have here are good athletes, good scholars and good gentlemen,” said Meyers.
During Coach Anderson’s tenure at JSU, he led the Tigers to eight Southwestern Athletic Conference tournaments as well as one NCAA tournament appearance. Anderson said that he wasn’t happy with this season, but he knows that the team overcame many obstacles.
Jackson State’s best season record while Anderson was head coach was in 2010 when the Tigers went 17-1. Anderson said one of his biggest achievements at Jackson State, was winning the 2007 SWAC championship.
“To do all that I did at Jackson State University, I was very proud and it gave us the momentum to go two in a row”.
