On the job since July 13, 2021, Mississippi Delta Community College Athletic Director Jason Conner has been working to improve the athletic program both on the field and in the classroom.
Despite the challenges of finding quality athletes, coaches, and employees while stretching a shoe-string budget to its max, Conner has been able to meet and exceed expectations on the field and in the classroom. He recently presented a state of MDCC athletics update to the Indianola Rotary Club.
The former Delta State basketball coach knows the importance of athletics in today’s educational world.
“Athletics has been what I’ve done my entire life and has given me a foundation to live by and hopefully have touched lives. Athletics brings people together – all makes and models. It evens the playing field and like music, it tames the savage beast,” Conner said.
In his first year, MDCC graduated 36 athletes. In year two, 38 and this past year graduated 58 kids
“And I’m looking forward to what will happen at the end of this term. We had 15 men and women graduate in the first term at Christmas. (MDCC Head Football) Coach (Tavares) Johnson has been preparing his kids to graduate at Christmas so they can go on to their next school and team. We are preparing that. You have to put in a lot of thought to make that happen.”
Mississippi Delta “sells our academics and I think in a study taken a year or so ago showed that our students fare better at four-year schools than a lot of other community colleges. That is a credit to our teachers in the classroom. That is important and we sell that. We feel like this is our job and it’s an important job. A lot of the kids we educate will be here. They’ll live here, marry here and work here. We are working to make the Mississippi Delta better for all.”
Football
Walk-on Ja’Bryis Stewart from Crystal Springs made the team after an open tryout and then earned a scholarship.
“We were at Holmes and were playing pretty good till we ran out of linemen and there were a few Conference USA coaches that were telling Coach Johnson, ‘we want number 8.’ The next game we were picking up wires and walking up the sideline where Stephen Robinson was setting up his camera and I saw a blur. I saw this kid who went from midfield and busted the chops off of that kid who was trying to make it down the sideline. I said, ‘who the crap was that?’ and it was Ja’Bryis. Mississippi State offered him that night. Three other SEC schools ended up offering him as well.”
This season, the team signed 32 players on National Signing Day and Coach Johnson has been adding to his win column
“We have 35 players for spring practice and we’ve got some big boys signed for that – offensive and defensive lines. I don’t know if we’ll have a spring game this year but we are working towards that.”
Men’s and Women’s Basketball
The women are 15-4 and won at Holmes and the men won at Holmes, “a tough place to play. The girls had the best start they’ve ever had. They are athletic and are fun to watch. They play hard. Two little guards from Vicksburg and they wear me out watching them chase the ball over the court.”
Softball
With former Trojans Tre Hobbs heading up the softball team, the former JUCO and Gulf South Conference All American is “a relentless recruiter and our softball conference is by far the best in America. The national champion each year comes out of the MACCC. And he doesn’t give them any slack and he’s set the bar high. He expects his kids to be tough. He’s got 15 freshmen. And that’s hard to get them where you want them in a short time. Our coaches have a tough gig and our guys are doing good.”
Baseball
Adrian Dorsey was hired to replace Luke Stanley who took an assistant job at Delta State.
“Adrian has professional experience and has scouted professionally but a new coach comes in and five or six leave but he had nine ready to sign. His assistant, Christian Day, played in the JUCO system in Mississippi and played at Delta State and chased his professional dream before coming back to coaching.”
Cheer and Dance
Sarah Hardy was hired this year and cheerleaders are at every football game and basketball team.
“She has them out there running ‘gut busters’ and getting them in shape,” he said. “And I told her to get them where you want them. She’s signed some more kids.”
Band
He noted the band program is not under athletics but “Stephon Mattis is doing a heck of a job. Our old band director is now at Coahoma. Bands play a big part and some of our meetings as ADs, we make rules for the band during games. We had a meeting this morning and when the center touches the ball, the band has to stop playing.”
Other Tid Bits
“We have a new president, Steven Jones, and I know we have money set aside to upgrade and renovate our athletic training room and our weight room and two visiting locker rooms. We’ve seen renderings and they are beautiful,” Conner said. “When we travel to other places – Northwest is like walking into a D1 situation, Gulf Coast is like walking into a D1 situation, Jones is like walking into a D1 situation and we need to upgrade and I’m excited about that.”
Fundraising
Conner mentioned the previously named Trojan Black Tie Gala that has been renamed and revamped as the Trojan Nation Celebration.
“We had Ron Polk the first year and then Ostrander from USM the second year and he was phenomenal. This past year we had John Brady, Richard Williams and Kermit Davis – wonderful men and Stephen Robinson (emcee) was awesome. The tickets went from $100 to $50 but that’s a chance for us to make money. The food is great, the entertainment is great and the speakers are great. The money doesn’t go to me, it goes to fill gaps and needs in our athletic department.”
Dr. Albery Nylander, a friend of Conner’s from Delta State, now works at Ole Miss in fundraising and with alumni.
“His story is phenomenal. He played baseball at Mississippi Delta. I’m hoping he is someone who can come to our Trojan Nation Celebration. I don’t want y’all forgetting about us. We want to be connected to Indianola and the Delta. We are meeting a need and we are working hard to make that happen.”
Questions
Will there be lights for the baseball field?
“That's a beautiful thought, and it's on everybody’s radar. Robinson Electric has been very kind
and is going to help us. We need lights for baseball and softball but we’re talking about a million dollars from start to finish. Tre Hobbs received some lights as donations and we are looking into that. Yes, we need lights.”
Other mentions:
“At J.T. Hall Coliseum we need a digital scoring apparatus that other schools have. We can put paint in the locker room and carpet but people want to see where their money is going.”
Football Thoughts:
“Our football program is years behind in the league and we have to catch up. There have been rumblings about shutting down football. Years ago, Mississippi was the only state with JUCO football and now its growing across the country – California, Texas, Alabama, Georgia and others. It used to be all the talent came to Mississippi but the rules for the MACCC note that you can only have so many kids from out of state.
“The baseball team under Terry Thompson had a huge international presence and we are trying to get more of those students coming to add to our athletic program. Tavares Johnson with football is the furthest behind and we have to get him caught up.”
More Tidbits, NIL and NCAA Rulings
New rulings that allow JUCO players to not have their JUCO time on the field count at a four-year school will bring more high school athletes and more athletes overall to the JUCO level and to MDCC.
