JUCO Powerhouse Names New AD

SCOOBA – One of the most respected people among Mississippi’s junior college ranks is returning to the Scooba campus, as former East Mississippi Community College standout quarterback/head football coach Dr. Randall Bradberry has been hired as the school’s director of athletics.  The announcement was made Thursday by EMCC President Dr. Thomas M. Huebner Jr.

Bradberry, a native of Sturgis, was an all-star signal caller for Hall of Fame football coach Bob “Bull” Sullivan during the 1967 and 1968 seasons and later returned to East Mississippi for a successful 12-year stint (1976-87) as the Lions’ head football coach.  During his second stop on the Scooba campus, Bradberry also served as EMCC’s director of athletics while adding responsibilities as the college’s dean of students and briefly serving as the school’s interim president before departing in 1988 for Copiah-Lincoln Community College.

BRADBERRY

“I look forward to once again having the opportunity to be a part of the East Mississippi Community College family.  This school has been a part of my life since I walked on campus as a student in the fall of 1967,” Bradberry said.  “I have so many fond memories of being a student here, living and working here, my children being born here, and having known the people that make up this great community.”

“Dr. Bradberry is uniquely qualified to provide excellent leadership to one of the best community college athletic programs in the country,” Dr. Huebner noted.  “He has the experience, the character, and the love for EMCC that will allow us to take our athletic program to the next level.  I am truly pleased Dr. Bradberry is returning home to serve the students and communities of east Mississippi.”

Bradberry’s post-EMCC career included eight years at Co-Lin, where he held football coaching duties in addition to having served as the college’s director of institutional research while completing his doctorate degree in educational leadership with an emphasis in community colleges from Mississippi State University.

Bradberry later branched out to spend 11 years working for the Mississippi State Board for Community and Junior Colleges.  After serving as the commissioner of athletics for the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) as well as executive secretary of the president’s association during his stint in Jackson, Bradberry then became the associate executive director for community college academic programs before retiring in 2008.

Bradberry will be reunited on the Scooba campus with one of his former Lion players, as current EMCC senior administrator Mickey Stokes will move full-time into his expanded role as the college’s vice president for student life on both the Scooba and Mayhew/Golden Triangle campuses.  Stokes, who is in his third decade of service to East Mississippi Community College, played tight end for Bradberry’s Lion teams during the 1978 and 1979 football seasons.  Since assuming EMCC’s duties as director of athletics in 2007, Stokes has been instrumental in the ascension of the school’s athletic program on the state, regional and national levels, including three NJCAA national championships and four MACJC state titles in football.  Over the past eight seasons under Stokes’ athletic leadership, East Mississippi has also claimed a combined nine NJCAA Region 23 championships in three different sports along with 16 MACJC North Division regular-season crowns in five different sports.

“One of the things that made this position interesting to me was the opportunity to work with Mickey (Stokes),” Bradberry emphasized.  “I had the opportunity to recruit and coach Mickey in the late 70’s here at East Mississippi, and I have been very proud of the job he has done here.  I will be depending a great deal on his expertise as I move forward in this job.  Another key factor in my decision of wanting to become involved was Dr. Huebner’s enthusiasm and passion toward the college.”

“It’s a privilege and an honor to continue to be associated with a place I’ve called home since Coach Bradberry recruited me to play football here,” Stokes added.  “I’m extremely proud of the athletic success we’re currently enjoying as a department here at East Mississippi Community College, and I look forward to lending a hand to Coach Bradberry to help maintain that success in the future.  I’m equally excited to be given an opportunity to broaden my horizons under Dr. Huebner’s excellent leadership by further implementing student life objectives for all EMCC campuses.”

A member of EMCC’s inaugural Sports Hall of Fame induction class in 2001 and a 2014 inductee into the Mississippi Community and Junior College Sports Hall of Fame, Bradberry has maintained a distinguished career of nearly 40 years as an administrator, educator and athletic coach at the state, collegiate and high school levels all within the state of Mississippi.

Following a standout prep career at Sturgis High School, Bradberry helped lead the East Mississippi Lions to a two-year composite record of 15-5, including a state runner-up in 1967.  As a sophomore team co-captain the following year, he was tabbed as a North Division All-Star quarterback.

Bradberry continued his collegiate career at Delta State University, where he established several school passing records for the Statesmen.  Upon graduating from DSU in 1971, he returned to his high school alma mater to kick off what would develop into a successful 27-year coaching career at six different schools among the high school, junior college and university ranks.  On the heels of brief prep coaching stints at Sturgis and Cumberland, Bradberry went back to Delta State to serve as a graduate assistant football coach.  With a master’s degree in hand, he then returned to his junior college alma mater in 1976 to become head football coach at East Mississippi.

Bradberry’s dozen years as EMCC’s head football coach were highlighted by the program’s first state football playoff appearance in school history in 1984 and a seven-win season in 1978.

Most recently, Bradberry had been serving as an adjunct instructor for Holmes Community College’s Ridgeland campus and for Mississippi State.

Married 13 years to the former Debbie Riddle of Jackson, Bradberry is the father of one son, Bo, twin daughters, Libby and Laurie, stepson, Brad, and stepdaughter, Laurie.  He also has seven grandchildren.