July 3, 2008

To take any organization to greatness, the leader must possess a vision of things possible. They must have a drive and work ethic to realize that vision.

Dr. Darren Hamilton’s vision is one of greatness for Alcorn State athletics. He has drive and the work ethic. He’s got more money – $1.5 million more – for this year’s athletic budget than the Braves had last year. He’s also got three hungry coaches who share the vision.

The first-year athletic director made his latest hire on Wednesday, choosing Tonya Edwards to lead the Alcorn Lady Braves women’s basketball program. If anyone knows championships, it’s Edwards, who won two national titles while playing for the closest thing to women’s basketball royalty as there is – the University of Tennessee.

New men’s coach Larry Smith is no stranger to winning championships, either. He was an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets when they won two NBA championships in 1994 and ’95. Hamilton can see winners coming and he’s got two on the basketball courts.

Ernest T. Jones helped the University of Cincinnati to a national ranking and Papajons.com Bowl victory over Southern Miss in December and soon after was chosen to lead the Braves football team. Alcorn’s second home game on Sept. 18 will be televised live by ESPNU and will feature a hip-hop concert after.

It’s all part of the grand plan to get fannies in the seats and championship banners to hang.

Alcorn is no stranger to fielding winning teams. Fourteen years ago, a fella named McNair put up unfathomable passing numbers in leading the Braves to the Division I-AA playoffs. Basketball coach Davey Whitney consistently had winning teams and played in NCAA Tournaments.

Those winning days, though, have been few and far between in recent years. The football team struggled under coach Dr. Johnny Thomas and the basketball teams were mediocre. The thirst for winning had vanished from Lorman, attendance dwindled and banners ceased to hang.

With the addition of Hamilton and three success stories to lead the three most prominent sports on campus, those days of empty seats should soon be a thing of the past.

The pieces are in place. The vision of an athletic director wanting Alcorn to be mentioned among the top athletic schools anywhere is there. The money is closer to being everything he wanted.

Now it is time for performance. The hip-hop postgame concerts are a nice addition, but at the end of the day, the only thing that will allow Hamilton to realize his vision for Alcorn will be for the school to start winning and keep winning.

In less than two months, the Braves football team will take the field for the first time this season under new leadership with a new attitude.

It will be a new day for Alcorn State athletics.

Sean P. Murphy is sports editor of The Vicksburg Post.E-mail him at smurphy@vicksburgpost.com