By Robert Wilson
Jan Sojourner has given 40 years of her life to Jackson Academy and its girls basketball program. And Tuesday on Jan Sojourner Day, the school gave back in a big way to Sojourner, the third winningest girls basketball coach in Mississippi history, who is retiring this season.
JA had a pep rally celebrating Sojourner in the morning and invited all of her former players from JA and Canton Academy, where she coached for the first five seasons, to come and also to the Jackson Prep basketball game Tuesday night. An estimated crowd of 1,200 showed up at the Raiderdome, which is the home of the Jan Sojourner Court, named after the legendary coach. Many of those in attendance where former players from Sojourner and their families.
Between the girls and boys games, Sojourner was honored by JA head of school Palmer Kennedy, former JA head of school Peter Jernberg, JA athletic director Brandt Walker and JA board of trustees chairman McKie Edmonson.
“We have the privilege of honoring Jan Sojourner,” said Kennedy said as he was interrupted by a several minute long standing ovation for Sojourner. “Jackson Academy can think of no better person than Peter Jernberg, who came to JA in 1988, retired in 2014, he served all those years as head of school and president, and continuing to benefit the school daily on nights like tonight, and two people can change the world.”
“I want to thank (Prep head of school) Lawrence Coco, (Prep athletic director) Will Crosby, (Prep girls basketball) Coach (Michael) McAnally, and (Prep boys basketball Coach (Zach) Allison for acknowledging Jan when JA played over on the Prep campus,” Jernberg said. “I’ve always admired their friendship and their leadership is exceptional. We are most fortunate for them leading Jackson Preparatory School, one of the leading independent schools certainly not only in the state but beyond. In 1988, I had the blessing and privilege or joining the Jackson Academy staff. The board of trustees charged me to assess the academic program, the fine arts program, the leadership program, the community involvement, and the athletic programs. And thank goodness, I had an exceptional athletic director, Bobby West, who had enjoyed immense success at Jackson Prep, winning numerous state championships. I joined with Bobby to access our athletic programs. Very quickly, Bobby and I came to the conclusion we had one model athletic program on our campus that set the standard for other programs, and that program was the Lady Raider basketball program, led by Jan Sojourner.”
Jernberg talked about Sojourner’s accomplishments, and most importantly, her faith.
“We all know the accolades, the third winningest ladies high school coach in Mississippi, numerous championships, numerous overall championships, certainly the xs and os were always there,” Jernberg said, “Certainly game preparation, practice preparation, work ethic, selflessness, team chemistry, defense, her hallmark was there. But there was one cornerstone that permeated her program and influenced this campus, and that was her Christian faith. Her Christian faith came from her family. Mr. Charlie and Mrs. Bobbi Sojourner, her late brother Jimmy, Nan Sojourner who is here with her husband Randy Randall, a dear friend of mine. They were of service, serving others, a family of faith, served the Crystal Springs community, they planted the seeds from generation to generation. We were blessed to have Jan Sojourner on our staff joined by wonderful assistants, the late Sharon Clark, Ronnie Rogers, and now Brittany Ford. That cornerstone permeated the program, but far beyond the wins and losses. It permeated our campus and she planted seeds of faith, fertilized seeds of faith, and she influenced in such a wonderful and positive manner the culture of our campus. Not only to our campus but far beyond as many others have prospered from personal example and personal walk in life. We love her, we are grateful for her, thank you so much for your personal friendship to me. You have been a blessing to me, certainly to the JA family, to the whole independent school family and all over the Southeast.”
Sojourner has 1,051 wins, 10 state championships and a record six Overall Tournament titles in her brilliant 45 year coaching career, including 945 wins in 40 seasons at JA.
She has led JA to one of the biggest turnarounds in Mississippi this season. The Lady Raiders have an 18-6 overall record and 5-3 and in third place in the MAIS Class 6A (four wins short of the last two seasons combined), their best record since going 31-3 and reaching the Overall semifinals during the 2020-2021 season.
The court was named Jan Sojourner Court on Dec. 10, 2022.
And another special announcement Tuesday was from Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, with Mississippi naming Jan. 28, Coach Jan Sojourner Day, and she will be celebrated every year on that day.
There were about 100 former players – some who drove for hours to get to Jackson – who came to pay respects to their coach.
“I cannot put into words what it means to me,” said Sojourner on an interview with Bryan Eubank and Tommy Barnette on the Raider Network. “I saw some faces I haven’t seen in 20 years. It wasn’t like they just came around the corner. They traveled to get here. I love all these girls. They don’t get it that they taught me thing. I have grown because of them and what they have done for me. That’s what has kept me in it is the relationships and once they graduate seeing what they do and how successful they are. I get to see their babies. They are young women and it’s neat to see how they grow, what they stand for. I keep hearing you have done so much for us, but no, they have done so much for me. I’m so grateful and thankful. I’ve heard Tom Brady say this. Someone asked him why he was so successful. He said it was the right time, it was the right place, and it was the right people. And I will add one more to that, it’s what God did to put me in those situations. You could see God’s hands all over it. It’s incredible. To have them come back and share with me. I don’t have the words to say how much it means to me.”
Sojourner – a former point guard for Copiah Academy and national runner-up Mississippi College – said two of her coaches led her into coaching.
“I always loved sports and loved having a ball in my hand and enjoyed it. When I started playing basketball in the ninth grade, my first coach was Gerald Austin,” Sojourner said. “He coached me in the ninth grade and in high school. I got a chance to play at MC and my college coach was Ed Nixon. And he is the one where I got my philosophy and what I stand for, as far as on the court and what we try to do. He had a real passion for winning. He was going to guard you and push the ball down the floor quickly. He wanted it to be fun to play. I love that. Those two really influenced me.”
“Coach Sojourner has always been more than just a coach,” said former JA star Jalessa Taylor, who is the second leading scorer in school history (2,054 points from 2003-2007 and is now the Madison Central girls basketball coach. “She is an inspiration to everyone she encounters. She believes in God and spreads His word through the game. She will always hold a special place in my heart for everything she instilled in me as a player, has taught me through young adulthood and guided me through as a coach. I’m forever grateful for her and could never repay her. She’s truly a blessing.”
“Jan was the centerpiece of equipping our girls for adversity in life,” said Mark Chinn, who and his wife, Cathy, had four daughters, Courtney, Casey, Carly, and Conley, who played for Sojourner. “They also learned sportsmanship and to never complain or make excuses. JA basketball was life to the Chinns. Jan coached No. 20 (the number all four Chinn girls wore) from 1998 to 2017. Three overall titles. Three state titles. Two all starters, one Dandy Dozen, two Top Ten JA scorers.”
Prep girls basketball coach Michael McAnally – whose teams has faced Sojourner’s team many times during the last 11 years of the Prep-JA rivalry – was honored to be a part of this special night.
“Jan’s resume speaks for itself,” McAnally said. “The win total, the state and Overall tiles, and of course the longevity. I told her that it’s been a true honor to share the floor with her for 19 years for me and the last 11 in this great Prep-JA rivalry. I’m truly thankful that JA chose this game to honor her. As great as this rivalry has been for 40 plus years, it seemed only fitting and I think it’s a great compliment for Jackson Prep that JA chose this game. It was a beautiful ceremony for a legend of our association and high school girls basketball and we are Jackson Prep, win or lose, were privileged to be a part of the evening.”
“I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to play for Coach Sojourner the past three years,” JA senior guard Aubrey Edmonson said. “She has taught me so much about the game of basketball, but honestly so much more. I have learned self-discipline, responsibility, and leadership skills because of her. Coach Sojourner has always pushed and supported me to be the best player and person I can be. I am thankful for the time she has poured into my life to help make me who I am. She deserves all the recognition and celebration of all the years she has spent coaching and the impact she has made on all those around her.”
“It’s honestly hard to put into words the impact that Coach Sojourner had on my life,” said former JA point guard Mollie Blair Baioni, who played from 2009-2013 and is now in her fifth year as the girls basketball coach at Bayou Academy in Cleveland. “She taught me a lot about basketball, but she taught me so much more about life. Coach Sojourner taught me the importance of working hard for something you want, how to be a great teammate and work with others towards a common goal and she instilled mental toughness and how to work through hard times when things aren’t going your way. All while modeling a Christian spirit. These are all things that I have carried with me through all stages of my life.
“Since graduating, we have made it a priority to go eat at least twice a year to catch up and just talk about life. Coach Sojourner genuinely cares about players past and present and takes the extra step to make that known. As a coach, she is always able to get the best out of players because she knew she loved us. Coach Sojourner would push us harder than anyone, but love on us afterwards, which made us want to give her everything we could. As I’ve grown in my coaching career, that is the biggest thing I’ve tried to incorporate – pushing them and being hard on them but letting them know I’m their biggest fan and I’m always there for them for anything. Last year, as my team was making a deep run in the playoffs, she was sending me encouraging messages and supporting me and my team from afar, which meant the world to me.”
Baioni was thankful to be there Tuesday night.
“It was such a special way to honor her,” Baioni said. “I was thankful that we weren’t playing so I could be there since I missed the court dedication night. To look around that gym and see generations of Lady Raiders being brought together was incredible. She has truly changed and touched the lives of so many, which was evident in that gym. Getting to talk and reconnect with people I played with, people I watched play while I was growing up, and people I helped coach after I was done playing all in one place was awesome. It really is such an honor to have been a part of that program and have that connection with so many incredible women. Once a Lady Raider, always a Lady Raider.”
