'I'm not finished coaching': Wayne Brent talks future after Jackson State eliminated by Texas Southern

After Jackson State basketball's 54-50 loss to Texas Southern in the SWAC Tournament quarterfinals, Jackson State coach Wayne Brent took the time to tell each player individually how he felt about them.

For the first time in nearly a decade, Jackson State will have a new basketball coach next season. Jackson State announced that Brent will retire after nine years with the program. Former NBA All-Star Mo Williams, a Jackson native, will take his place, according to Stadium's Jeff Goodman.

"Probably for the first time with this group, (I told them) that I loved them," Brent said. "That I wanted to see them have success beyond this ... just a bunch of love for guys who have fought over the past 3-4 years who you have spent countless hours together in film and practice and on the track and in the weight room."

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Just because Brent's chapter at Jackson State is closing doesn't mean he's done coaching for good.

"Maybe I’m an assistant coach next year, maybe I take a year off," Brent said. "I do know I’m not finished coaching. I’ve had 28 good years in the state of Mississippi so it’ll allow me to retire. I’m 54 now. Next year I may sit out and enjoy it and fish and the next year may get back in it and maybe August comes, who may know if He has another plan or another assignment for me."

Jackson State went into halftime with a five-point lead Tuesday and was either ahead or tied for most of the second half. But once Texas Southern grabbed hold of the lead, it didn't let go.

"We wanted to keep the game in the 50s, somewhere in that range, and we did that," Brent said. "We wanted to have a chance at the end of the game to execute a set and win the game, and we did that we just didn't score. We talked about taking a three but Dyllan (Taylor) decided to drive and I thought he had a good drive, but they're just so big under the goal he just ran out of real estate under the goal. I just thought our kids gave great effort all night."

Brent, a Provine graduate and former Provine and Callaway coach, said saying good-bye to the players was one of the toughest things he's had to do. But looking back on his JSU journey, he believes he has been blessed.

"God has blessed me to coach this game 33-34 years, to be able to be the head coach of a Division I team, and to be at a place where i grew up right down the street," Brent said. "It’s been a wonderful career, a wonderful journey and God has blessed me and my family to stick around and coach this game for 33 years."

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Wayne Brent not finished coaching after Jackson State retirement