Jackson, Mississippi – Jackson State University Acting President Elayne Hayes-Anthony and Vice President / Athletic Director Ashley Robinson released a joint video statement today confirming Robinson’s continued leadership of the JSU Athletics program.
“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 a part of my administration,” said Hayes-Anthony. “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 shared his enthusiasm about working with Hayes-Anthony to further enhance the vision and prominence of Jackson State’s athletics program.
“Jackson State is very special to me. It’s nothing like having support when you’re building an athletic department,” said Robinson. “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.”
The JSU TV Metro Mornings interview with Rob Jay continued as Hayes-Anthony and Robinson shared additional surprises related to the JSU athletics program. Hayes-Anthony met with the football team on Monday to announce that new lights will be installed on the practice field, allowing the team to extend their hours of practice after dusk, as needed.
“Sometimes the guys need to practice at night, but if you don’t have any lights it’s hard to do that. Well, at the end of this week, we’re going to have lights at the practice field. That’s huge for our players because it’s going to allow the head coach to make practice decisions based on the needs instead of the time,” said Hayes-Anthony.
Additionally, Robinson announced the return of men’s and women’s golf, which will elevate JSU to 18 sports.
“With the support of President Anthony, we’re bringing men and women’s golf back. We had a great tradition here. Coach Eddie Payton won over 30 championships in the golf program, so this is huge for Jackson State,” said Robinson.
The full interview can be viewed on JSU’s YouTube page. Single-game tickets and parking are on sale at gojsutigers.com/tickets, and available at the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium box office Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., via phone at 601-354-6021 or 601-979-2420, or email at jsuticketoffice@jsums.edu.