Northeast Mississippi Community College Athletics

Emma Braddock was hired by then-Northeast Mississippi Junior College in 1965 to serve alongside legendary coach Bonner Arnold as one of three physical education instructors for the institution.

She went on to serve Northeast for more than 25 years. Braddock saw the athletic department evolve from only men’s basketball and cheerleading to seven sports strong when she retired following the 1989-90 academic year.

Braddock was a member of the faculty at Northeast for well more than a decade before taking over the duties of tennis coach for both the men and women from fellow Northeast Sports Hall of Famer Ken Lindsey in 1980.

She was the first female head coach in school history and eventually became Northeast’s most successful tennis instructor with multiple players advancing to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Tournament.

Northeast started to find its groove under Braddock in 1982 when both squads combined for a 34-17 record. The Lady Tigers went 14-11 while the Tigers boasted an impressive 20-6 mark.

All Northeast players qualified for the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) State Tournament that season. The Tigers also had the top two seeds from the north half in the men’s singles bracket.

The Tigers’ Aaron Parsons and John Tate captured a doubles state championship after defeating Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in the title matchup. Lisa Mills finished as the state runner-up in women’s singles as well.

Mills gained her revenge one year later as she teamed with Kathy Arnold to attain both the state and regional doubles crowns. They advanced with their victories to the NJCAA National Tournament, which was then played in Ocala, Fla.

Braddock’s women’s teams from 1984-85 may have been the two best squads of her entire tenure. They both travelled to the Sunshine State for the NJCAA National Tournament and won multiple championships along the way.

Arnold won her second consecutive state and regional doubles title with new partner Lori Owens in 1984. She also gained the singles championships at both competitions as the top seed in the entire field.

Melissa Tyre also earned a state title in her singles category that year. Lori Curry and Lisa Aldridge were dominant in 1985 with state and regional crowns in women’s doubles and runner-up results in singles play as well.

The men had several bright spots in that stretch too. Duane Grubbs was the second ranked singles athlete in the state in 1984 while Kevin Cooley and Ken Williams entered the 1985 MACJC State Tournament as the number two seed from the north half.

Braddock took a one-year hiatus from coaching in 1987 with Ricky Gillentine serving as headman in her absence. She took the reigns of both programs once again in 1988 and stayed in that role for the remainder of the decade.

The Ripley native lifted the Lady Tigers and Tigers back to their proper spot atop the Magnolia State with a third place showing during her return to the teams in 1988 to cap a consistent career on the courts.

Braddock was an avid athlete herself. She has competed in multiple major golf tournaments and even won the third flight at the Women’s Southern Golf Association championship at Southern Pines, N.C., in 1980.