The Jackson State athletics department has made a big hire.
Former NBA champion turned TV analyst Kendrick Perkins has agreed to be general manager of the Jackson State men’s basketball team, first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania. Perkins will also serve as a mentor for the school’s broadcast and journalism program.
In his role with the basketball team, Perkins will help oversee roster construction, manage high school and transfer portal recruiting, and help players attain name, image, and likeness deals that maximize their brand to make the school more competitive both in the SWAC and nationally.
Perkins is reported to have worked closely with first-year Jackson State head coach Trey Johnson and athletics director Ashley Robinson to finalize his role with the university. The ESPN NBA analyst will serve as Johnson’s first GM. Johnson was promoted from within as the program’s frontman after former head coach Mo Williams departed for an assistant gig at Kentucky.
“I’m thankful for this opportunity to impact young lives and pour back into my community,” Perkins told ESPN of his new venture.
Perkins, a Texas native, spent 14 seasons in the NBA, where he averaged 5.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. His biggest moment in the league occurred in the 2007-08 season when he was part of the Boston Celtics’ championship team. He also competed for a title in 2012 as a center for the Oklahoma City Thunder but fell to the Miami Heat’s “big three,” headlined by LeBron James.
The big man stepped away from the court after the 2017-18 season and quickly landed an analyst job with ESPN in 2019. Perkins will continue to serve as an analyst while fulfilling his duties at Jackson State.
Other notable NBA stars, both former and current, who have accepted similar roles at colleges in recent years include Shaquille O’Neal (Sacramento State), Stephen Curry (Davidson), Damian Lillard (Weber State), and John Wall (Howard).
As for Jackson State, the Tigers finished the 2025-26 campaign with a 12-21 overall record, while going 10-8 in conference play, and were led by SWAC Player of the Year Daeshun Ruffin. The Tigers last made the NCAA Tournament in 2007 when their current head coach as a member of that group.
No stranger to big name hires, Jackson State has been the place to be for well-known talents. For starters, Williams, the former head basketball coach, was a longtime NBA veteran who won a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016. The Tigers also rose to prominence as the school that kickstarted now-Colorado football frontman Deion Sanders’ collegiate coaching profession.