STARKVILLE — Tony Hughes will be missed at Mississippi State.
Hughes, who spent seven years as an assistant football coach in Starkville, was introduced Monday as the head football coach at Jackson State.
A MSU team spokesperson said Hughes will have the option of coaching for MSU (8-4) when it takes on North Carolina State (7-5) 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 30 (ESPN), in the Belk Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina, but no decision has been made. Defensive graduate assistant Ephraim Banda has coached the safeties in the last two practices. Everyone associated with the program will miss Hughes.
“Tony’s an unbelievable person,” MSU co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Billy Gonzales said. “He’s an unbelievable man, he’s an unbelievable mentor, great coach, and great friend. From that standpoint, he will be missed.”
Dan Mullen hired Hughes when he took over as MSU’s coach in 2009. Hughes coached the safeties and was the recruiting coordinator.
Hughes reached out to nearly every recruit MSU considered in the last seven years and developed a bond with the players who decided to come to MSU.
“Thank you coach Tony Hughes for believing in me when no one else did. Love you coach!” freshman tight end Farrod Green tweeted Monday morning.
Green wasn’t he only player to voice his excitement for Hughes, who be a first-time head coach in college. Freshman linebacker Leo Lewis tweeted, “Thankful for coach Tony Hughes, God bless …”
Junior safety Kivon Coman, who has played under Hughes the last three seasons, wasn’t surprised Jackson State picked Hughes. Coman tweeted, “It was not destiny that got you a new job. It was your ability to make your own destiny. Congrats coach Tony Hughes truly blessed!”
Former Bulldog and current cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Johnthan Banks began his career at MSU as a safety. The East Webster product congratulated Hughes in a tweet and added, “JSU just got better!!!”
Hughes recruited Brian Johnson, MSU’s current quarterback coach, when he was an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech. Johnson said Hughes came to his home in Baytown, Texas, for a recruiting visit. Johnson joked with Hughes and Mullen that that was the only time Mullen beat Hughes in recruiting.
“He’s been great,” Johnson said. “I couldn’t be more proud, and I couldn’t be more happy for him. He’s going to do a great job.”
Hughes, 56, has coached at Southern Mississippi, Ole Miss, and Louisiana Tech in his 31-year coaching career. He replaces Harold Jackson, who lasted less than two seasons and led the team to an 8-15 record. Jackson took over for Rick Comegy, who moved on to become the head coach at Mississippi Valley State. Hughes will be the program’s fourth head coach in four seasons.
“I finally made it!” Hughes said with his arms outstretched. “Wow. It’s been a journey. I’m excited, I’m excited, I’m excited and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Hughes, a Forest native, said Jackson State has “every reason to be good” and plans on building the program around Mississippi high school talent.
“That’s not lip service — that’s who we’re going to recruit,” Hughes said. “I believe that there are enough players in the state of Mississippi that if we recruit right and evaluate right, that there’s enough players that every year we’ll field a great football team.”
Mullen expressed gratitude toward Hughes in a statement Monday.
“Tony is fulfilling a lifelong dream of becoming a head coach, and I am very proud of him,” Mullen said. “He has been a loyal assistant and a tireless recruiter. He’s done a tremendous job in helping elevate our program in our seven years here. Jackson State is not only getting an excellent head coach, but a great person and family man. We watched his son, Jay, come through our program, graduate, and serve as a captain on our 2014 team that spent five weeks ranked No. 1. Tony’s values will continue to make him successful. I wish him and his family all the best.”
The terms of Hughes’ contract at JSU weren’t announced. Hughes made $400,000 this past season at MSU, while Jackson made $260,000 last season with the Tigers.
Jackson State Athletic Director Wheeler Brown said Hughes has a three-year deal. He did not say how much it was worth, but said it was comparable to Jackson’s contract, which paid $260,000 per year.
It wasn’t about the money for Hughes, who said over the weekend he would love to be a head coach one day.
“It is indeed an honor for me to come to be the head football coach at Jackson State,” Hughes said. “The reason I chose to come is because of the great tradition in football that this university represents. This is a program with a lot of pride and a lot of tradition. What we’ve come to do is we’ve come to rekindle that pride and that tradition and put Jackson State football back in the place where it belongs, and that’s at the top.”
The Associated Press’ David Brandt contributed to this report.
Ben Wait reports on Mississippi State University sports for The Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
