East Mississippi Community College has named Athletic Director Randall Bradberry interim president.
Bradberry, who was named the college’s athletic director in 2016, replaces former interim president Rick Young. Young was named interim president on May 18 after former President Thomas Huebner’s resignation. Young submitted a letter of resignation to the EMCC Board of Trustees Monday, which the board accepted during its meeting Tuesday.
EMCC Board President Jimmy Moore said the board extended an offer to Bradberry earlier in the week and he accepted it late Friday.
“Dr. Bradberry has been affiliated with the EMCC since ’67, when he played football,” Moore said. “He’s qualified, dedicated and fair and he’ll be a tremendous asset for the college as we move forward.”
EMCC Head Football Coach Buddy Stephens mentioned that Bradberry would be named the interim president after a Thursday football game, according to The Dispatch’s earlier reporting. At the time, Bradberry had not officially accepted the position.
Bradberry, speaking to The Dispatch, said he was thankful for the board’s trust in him.
“I want to thank the board of trustees for their confidence in giving me this opportunity to work with the college in this period of transition,” he said.
Bradberry, according to an EMCC press release, has previously served 11 years with the Mississippi State Board of Community and Junior Colleges. He’s also served as the commissioner of athletics for the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges and retired in 2008 from the position of associate executive director for community college academic programs.
Bradberry is a former EMCC quarterback, having played for the college for the 1967-68 seasons. He returned to the college nearly a decade later for a 12-year run as the head football coach from 1976-87.
According to the release, he also has previously worked as the EMCC director of athletics, with added responsibilities as the college’s dean of students. Bradberry has briefly served before as an interim president at EMCC before leaving to work at Copiah-Lincoln Community College in 1988.
There, Bradberry worked as a football coach and served as Copiah-Lincoln’s director of institutional research. He worked at the college for eight years.
EMCC is continuing its search for a permanent president. The college’s board of trustees will continue accepting applications for the position until Oct. 31.
Alex Holloway was formerly a reporter with The Dispatch.
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