Kendrick Perkins To Become Jackson State General Manager

Kendrick Perkins was a role player during his NBA career which spanned nearly 15 seasons, but he has been front and center in the hoops world since his playing days ended. The former NBA big man has become one of the most prominent voices on ESPN’s coverage of the league over the past few seasons, and has become a household name for one-liners and basketball takes.

Perkins will continue in his role on ESPN, but has picked up another job this month. He will serve as the general manager for the Jackson State basketball program, as he has already been in touch with new head coach Trey Johnson and athletic director Ashley Robinson.

“I’m thankful for this opportunity to impact young lives and pour back into my community,” Perkins told ESPN.

ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins – 14-year NBA veteran and 2008 champion – has agreed to become the men’s basketball General Manager of HBCU Jackson State, as well as a connection to its broadcast and journalism program, per Perkins: “I’m thankful for this opportunity to impact… pic.twitter.com/lTHV4tSn3a

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 19, 2026

Johnson is looking forward to leveraging Perkins’ experience in the sport.

“This partnership represents a significant step forward in our commitment to building a championship-caliber program while creating meaningful opportunities for our student-athletes beyond the court,” Johnson said. “In this evolving landscape of college athletics, we are certain that Kendrick’s knowledge, passion and enthusiasm for the game of basketball and sports media will provide tremendous value to our student-athletes, our program, university and community as a whole.”

In addition to working with the basketball team, Perkins will also be involved in the school’s broadcasting and journalism program given his experience in sports media.

Robinson said that Perkins will also be heavily involved in the business aspect, as is to be expected during college sports’ name, image and likeness era.

“It’s a volunteer role, but he’s going to come in to fundraise,” Robinson said. “That’s going to be huge for us.”

Reports indicate that Perkins and Johnson have the same agent, which allowed them to ruminate on the possibility of this for an extended period of time before the news became official.

Kendrick Perkins Named Jackson State Men’s Basketball General Manager

By Bradley Stoves#CBB #CollegeBasketball https://t.co/FyhLi5AU0D

— Vendetta Media (@VendettaVSM) June 20, 2026

It can be difficult for a one-bid league like the SWAC to emerge as an NCAA powerhouse, and subsequently it can be a challenge for any of its teams to become household names. With that said, Perkins and Johnson are hoping that Jackson State can take steps forward in the coming years to reach consistent relevancy.

The last time Jackson State made the NCAA tournament was back in 2006-2007, when head coach Tevester Anderson led them to the big dance. They were ousted by Florida in the first round.

Perkins’ role as general manager continues a trend of NBA stars taking similar roles at their alma mater, or at schools where they feel like they can make a difference. Shaquille O’Neal serves as the general manager at Sacramento State, where former NBA point guard Mike Bibby serves as head coach.

Similarly, John Wall became president of basketball operations at Howard University a couple of months ago. Like Perkins and O’Neal, Wall’s presence serves as a way to build a brand that was previously non-existent for these universities, which in turn helps them generate revenue for NIL and other expenses.