Robert
Braddy To Enter ABCA Hall of Fame
Longtime JSU baseball coach one of seven inductees
January 2, 2003
(JACKSON, Miss.) Former Jackson State baseball coach Robert
Braddy will be inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association
Hall of Fame January 3, 2003 in San Diego, California. The induction
will take place at the ABCA Hall of Fame/Coach of the Year Banquet
being held during the association’s national convention.
Braddy joins six other coaches being enshrined.
Braddy had an all-time record of 823-555-3 during his 28 seasons
at Jackson State. With Braddy at the helm, the Tigers won 12
conference titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament three
times.
A 1964 graduate of Jackson State, Braddy built the Tiger baseball
program into one of the most respected programs in the country.
He won more conference titles that any other baseball coach
in league history. His initial SWAC championship came in 1973,
his first year as the Tigers’ head baseball coach. Since
his first season at Jackson State, 52 of his players have reached
the professional ranks, including Dennis ‘Oil Can’
Boyd, Marvin Freeman, Wes Chamberlain, Earl Sanders and Dave
Clark.
During his career, he was named NAIA District 30 Coach of the
Year twice and SWAC Coach of the Year eight times. He was inducted
into the JSU Hall of Fame in 1985. In 1995, he was named assistant
athletics director until his promotion to interim director of
athletics in 1999. He has been tournament director for several
NCAA Division I Baseball Regionals, as well as serving on the
rating committee for Collegiate Baseball. In 2000, he organized
the tri-county Jackie Robinson League for girls’ softball
and boys’ baseball.
The Florence, Mississippi native is married to the former Diane
West and they have two children.
