Just got word that Jackson State University has extended the contract of athletic director Bob Braddy. The good news, for Braddy at least, is that he has a well-paying job for at least one more year. The bad news is, Tiger faithful are likely going to make it the hardest year of his professional career.
Despite what these ornery fans would have you to believe, Braddy is a fine AD. His teams have won the Commissioner’s Cup three years in a row. Each of the revenue-generating sports at JSU have won conference championships in his tenure.
Recently, he negotiated Southern University into a deal to play their game at Veterans Memorial Stadium that will save the Tigers traveling expenses in 2009, and a sweet return on game day revenues in 2010.
And yet, if you let the message boards tell it, Braddy has been the bane of the existence of Tiger athletics over the past few years.
I’m just an outsider, but to me, Braddy seems to be a shrewd business mind with a knack for cultivating success, even with tumultuous attitudes swirling around him. For what JSU has been able to accomplish on Braddy’s watch, it seems a little questionable to report that he only gets a one-year extension. As is customary with black colleges, there could be some ego and personality issues behind the scenes amongst administration and boosters, but there’s no question that Braddy has been the money-maker for Jackson State sports.
