By Bryan Eubank, Voice of the Raiders
Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves, in an official proclamation, declared January 28, 2025, to be known as Coach Jan Sojourner Day. The crowd inside the Jackson Academy Raider Dome responded with a lengthy standing ovation as the announcement was read. This recognition of JA’s Varsity Girls Basketball Head Coach, retiring at the end of this school year after 40 years at the school, was the culmination of an incredible day on the campus of Jackson Academy.
January 28 began with all JA students arriving in their favorite jerseys in Coach Sojourner’s honor and filing into The Raider Dome for a pep rally to celebrate varsity basketball and other sports teams. The Little Dribblers performed for the crowd and brought the crowd to their feet with an amazing display of basketball skills set to music. The Little Dribbler program, a component of the physical education curriculum for second graders, has been a part of JA for 40 years.
The day concluded with more than 100 former and current players and coaches attending the varsity girls basketball game and the presentation. Coach Sojourner’s impact on the lives of students and alumni was on display for all to see. The night concluded with a reception for all the guests following the game, where former players, coaches, and family gathered and celebrated an amazing member of the JA family.
Coach Sojourner is finishing her 40th year of coaching at Jackson Academy and her 45th year coaching girls high school basketball. It’s a career that has produced 6 MAIS Overall State Championships, 10 MAIS State Championships, and 11 MAIS District Championships. The MAIS Sports Hall of Fame inducted Coach Sojourner into its first class in 2002. In 2021, she coached her 1,000th career victory in a 66-15 victory over Richland High School. Her current win total is 950 at JA and 1,052 overall, which places her as the third-winningest girls basketball coach in Mississippi history. Her retirement announcement came before the start of the season, which has allowed most schools to pause before each game and honor Coach Sojourner with a special gift and standing ovation.
Coach Sojourner, a native of Crystal Springs, graduated from Copiah Academy in 1971. She received her bachelor of science degree from Mississippi College in 1975, where she was a member of the runner-up Lady Choctaw national championship basketball team. Her extraordinary coaching career began at Canton Academy in 1976. Coach Sojourner was the head basketball and track coach for five years. From there, she went to Brandon High School for three years as a junior high coach. Subsequently, she was a graduate assistant at Auburn University for one year.
“The impact she has had with the thousands of players she has coached and even coached against, along with the students who never even played the game but walked the halls of JA, is incalculable,” said JA Athletic Director Brandt Walker. “Many players have continued their careers in basketball, but more importantly, many have become leaders at JA, the metro community, and beyond.” The last game of the season on the basketball court, which bears Jan Sojourner’s name, will be on February 4, with MAIS playoffs beginning the following week.
Billy Graham once said, “A coach will impact more young people in a year than the average person does in a lifetime.” Coach Sojourner has impacted thousands of people in her nearly half-century of coaching. What a blessing she has been to the JA family. As the sticker that most wore on January 28 read, “The game may end, but the lessons last a lifetime.” Thanks for the memories, Coach!
Click to watch the highlight reel
Additional photo and media coverage of Jan Sojourner Day can be found through the links below.
- JA social media posts – Facebook and Instagram
- WJTV News
- Mississippi Score Board
