Ripley High School football and powerlifting Coach Jamal Braddock has been selected for this year’s Tomorrow’s 25 Coaching Fellowship, a leadership program for promising high school and middle school coaches. The school shared the news this week on its Facebook page and congratulated him for representing Ripley High and the South Tippah School District.
According to Ripley High School, the fellowship brings together coaches from Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina, Arkansas and Texas to work together, trade experiences and grow as leaders on and off the field.
What the Tomorrow’s 25 Fellowship Is
Tomorrow’s 25 started in Mississippi. The University of Mississippi’s outreach office describes the state program as a partnership of the Mississippi Association of Coaches (MAC), the Mississippi High School Activities Association (MHSAA) and the UM School of Education. Each year it selects 25 coaches that a selection committee sees as future leaders in school athletics.
The program has since grown into other states. Its fall newsletter for the 2026-27 class says cohorts are meeting this fall in Mississippi, South Carolina, North Carolina, Arkansas and Texas, with two separate groups in Texas. The fellowship says it was founded in 2022 and has more than 150 alumni from over 100 schools.
The Ole Miss program page lists three goals for each coach:
Coaching the whole athlete: lessons on leadership, resilience, empathy and responsibility that coaches can bring back to their own schools and share with colleagues.
Networking: time to build relationships with peers across the cohort.
Access to leaders: sessions with leaders from the MHSAA, the MAC, higher education and college athletics.
Coverage of earlier classes has described Tomorrow’s 25 as a 10-month program, with fellows meeting in sessions during the school year.
Coach Jamal Braddock at Ripley High School
Braddock coaches football and powerlifting for the Tigers. In its announcement, Ripley High School said he understands that coaching is “about more than wins and losses” and focuses on building relationships, developing character and making a lasting difference for student-athletes.
The school added that it is proud to see him represent Ripley High and the South Tippah School District “alongside coaches from across the region.”
A Good Stretch for Ripley Athletics
The honor comes during a busy week for Tiger athletics. On Nov. 12 the Ripley golf team received its 4A state championship trophy and banner, and baseball standout Paxton Kennamore signed with Itawamba Community College. The fellowship recognition puts a spotlight on the coaches who work with those athletes every day.
Congratulations to Coach Braddock from Tippah News. Schools, teams and families with news about Tippah County coaches or student-athletes can send it our way.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
