Amid rumors that Ashley Robinson was leaving for Prairie View A&M, Jackson State has announced that the athletics director will be staying with the university.
Elayne Hayes-Anthony, acting president at JSU, issued the following statement on Wednesday:
“AD Robinson is staying at Thee I Love, Jackson State University. We huddled up, as they say in sports, and we came out a winner. I am so pleased to have him as part of my administration. We want him here because of his brilliant track record. He’s done so many things to elevate athletics, which is a part of our strategic plan. I’d like to encourage the entire JSU community to show up and show out for our student-athletes this season so we can continue to help them excel in and out of the classroom.”
Robinson, who has been with Jackson State since 2018, also confirmed the news. Just last week, it had been reported that Robinson was nearing a deal with Prairie View A&M, where he served as athletics director from 2013-2018.
“Jackson State is very special to me. It’s nothing like having support when you’re building an athletic department,” Robinson said on JSU TV’s Metro Morning. “A lot of athletics directors don’t have the support, and when you have the support of your president and your administration, that’s big. That’s one of the biggest reasons why I made a decision to stay here at Jackson State University – the support. You always want to be in the position where you can support your coaches and support your athletes, and President Anthony, you have put us in that position.”
Since coming aboard in Jackson, Robinson has been exceptional in hiring new coaches. In 2019, Robinson hired Tomekia Reed to lead the women’s basketball program. Reed led the Lady Tigers to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2021 and 2022.
In 2020, Robinson gave Deion Sanders his first collegiate coaching position, which resulted in a massive spotlight for not only Sanders but the university. In three seasons, Sanders led the Tigers to two Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) championships and two Celebration Bowl appearances before departing for Colorado. Robinson also hired former NBA All-Star Mo Williams to lead the men’s basketball program.
This past year, Jackson State won four SWAC championships (men’s cross country, women’s soccer, football, and women’s basketball) under Robinson’s leadership. JSU student-athletes also posted a 3.101 GPA during the fall semester and graduated nearly 70 student-athletes during the 2022-23 academic year.
During Wednesday’s episode of Metro Morning, Hayes-Anthony and Robinson also announced that new lights are being installed at the football practice field while reminding fans that both men’s and women’s golf will be returning in 2023-24.
