Jackson State women's basketball coach Tomekia Reed is one of the best coaches in college basketball. Reed has had a successful tenure at Jackson State, leading the Lady Tigers to multiple SWAC championships and multiple bids in the NCAA Women's Tournament.
Success often sparks speculation about a coach's future at a program. The Clarion-Ledger’s JT Keith reports that Reed's four-year contract extension, signed on July 15, 2020, paying her around $135,000 per year, has expired today.
With Reed now officially a free agent, college basketball fans are discussing whether she will stay and further enhance her success at Jackson State, an institution with rich athletic history and prestige, or if she'll depart to try her hand elsewhere.
In a post about Reed's contract expiring, many Twitter/X users expressed their interest in having Reed be the lead of their program. However, some predict that she'll stay at Jackson but are befuddled that she hasn't inked a new contract with the Lady Tigers.
It isn't known if the conversations have started and, if they have, where both sides are. Reed has previously declined comment on her contract and has posted about Jackson State as early as March 27th.
It's highly likely that she stays at Jackson State but the future of one of college basketball's biggest rising stars is surely promising.
The Legend Of Tomekia Reed Grows
Reed has been shown respect and reverence by several prominent coaches in the college basketball world.
Reed took to her Twitter/X account in early March to celebrate Jackson State getting a vote in the AP Top 25 Poll, saying, “We always seek to do something that has never been done in our program as we look to continue to elevate the bar each year. But to receive an email saying we received a vote for the AP Poll is beyond my imagination!!! Lord I thank you!! To whoever voted for us THANK YOU!!”
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley replied, “You’d have another one if I was a voter! Keep doing the BELIEVABLE!”
Another SEC coaching stalwart, LSU's Kim Mulkey, praised Reed following the Lady Tigers' near-upset against the Tigers in the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
In a quote obtained by JT Keith of the Clarion-Ledger, Mulkey said, “What I said (was) ‘You ain't (going to) be at Jackson State long if they don't pay you.'”
Recently, UConn coaching legend Geno Auriemma sang the praises of Reed in postgame comments after UConn beat Jackson State to advance in this year's NCAA tournament, also advocating for Power Five jobs to look in her direction if they desire to find a new coach for the program.
“I wanted to commend her on her season, going undefeated in your league. I don't care what league you play in. I don't care who you play against. You play, 18 conference games and you win them all and you win your conference tournament. That's a hell of a job and it's not like the first time, right? I mean, she's been doing this for quite some time now there and a lot of these coaches that work like that and you have tremendous success and put together great teams and have put together a terrific program. Nobody knows about them. They certainly don't get on TV enough. They certainly don't get enough recognition. And I wanted to let her know that and that I wanted to I wanted to put myself out there and for her. And I think we need coaches like her to be celebrated.”
He continued, “And bigger schools need to not keep recycling coaches that are let go by other power five schools, whatever you want to call them, that they should start looking outside the box a little bit because there's a lot of great coaches out there and she's one of them.”
The praise of Reed is warranted. She joined Jackson State in 2018 after three successful seasons at Hinds Community College. Jackson State has flourished under her leadership, with three trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2021, 2022, and 2024 as well as multiple SWAC Championships.
Of note, Reed has drawn interest from other programs in her time at Jackson State. HBCU Gameday reported in 2022 that Reed interviewed for open positions and was even offered a Power Five opportunity. But, Reed turned it down to remain at Jackson State.
“I had several interviews with some Power Five institutions. I mean, it was amazing. It came down the stretch, and I was one of the finalists for a particular position, but I was not afforded that opportunity. I had another opportunity that was offered to me, and I almost accepted that opportunity. But, I felt like it was more work to be done [at Jackson State],” she said at the time in a quote obtained by HBCU Gameday.
With her most recent success, Reed is sure to draw more interest from programs around the women's basketball coaching spectrum. The upcoming days and weeks promise excitement as Clemson & Tulane seek new leaders for their women's basketball programs.
Will Reed's achievements prompt them to pursue her coaching services? Or, could Jackson State soon unveil a significant multi-year deal to retain Reed and expand her HBCU coaching legacy? Time will reveal all.
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