Jackson State University announced this week that former NBA big man Kendrick Perkins will step into the role of general manager for the university’s men’s basketball program.
Perkins, a 14‑year veteran who captured an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008, has been a familiar face on ESPN’s basketball coverage since retiring from play.
In his new position he will supervise all aspects of the program’s basketball operations, lead fundraising campaigns, and spearhead name, image and likeness initiatives that aim to attract top talent.
The move also includes a partnership with the university’s newly launched journalism program, giving student‑athletes hands‑on experience in media production.
Perkins will work closely with first‑year head coach Trey Johnson, a Jackson State alumnus who earned SWAC Player of the Year honors in 2007 and previously served as associate head coach.
NBA Alumni Fueling HBCU Revival
The appointment marks the latest in a series of former NBA players taking front‑office roles at historically black colleges and universities, a trend that includes John Wall at Howard, Stephen Curry at Davidson and Trae Young at Oklahoma.
Under Johnson’s guidance the team has already produced standout talent such as Daeshun Ruffin, who was named the 2026 SWAC Player of the Year.
Athletics vice president Ashley Robinson, an HBCU advocate, said Perkins’s NBA network and media reach will be instrumental in raising the program’s profile and securing resources.
Robinson, who describes himself as an HBCU guy, believes the combination of Perkins’s brand connections and Johnson’s homecoming can propel the Tigers onto the national stage.
The experiment being launched at Jackson State mirrors similar projects at other HBCUs, where former professionals are leveraging their networks to build competitive programs that can attract recruits and sponsors alike.
While the SWAC remains a stepping stone for many, the infusion of NBA‑level expertise signals a shift toward treating these programs as viable contenders for March Madness and beyond.