Oxford hires Jason Kennedy as new girls basketball coach

Oxford School District turned to Jason Kennedy to lead Oxford High School girls basketball, hiring a coach whose record points to an immediate push for higher expectations, sharper player development and a more visible program across Lafayette County.

Kennedy arrives with championship experience and statewide recognition. His résumé includes multiple championship appearances, Coach of the Year honors and a track record of building successful teams across Mississippi. Just as significant for Oxford, Kennedy has helped 35 student-athletes move on to the collegiate level, a sign that his approach has extended beyond the scoreboard and into college readiness and long-term player growth.

His most recent stop was St. Martin High School, where he guided the program to a District 4-7A championship, a Final Four appearance and District Coach of the Year recognition. Before that, he led Pearl High School to a 6A state championship and built an overall record that brought him attention well beyond the communities where he coached. Those results gave Oxford a proven head coach with experience in pressure games and the expectations that come with them.

For Oxford, the hire matters because girls basketball is one of the most visible parts of the district’s athletic identity. Kennedy’s background suggests the Chargers will be asked to play with a clearer structure and a stronger emphasis on development from the start. That shift will be watched closely by players working through offseason training, by families gauging how the program handles summer development and by local fans who will measure progress by how the team competes when next season begins.

The choice also signals what the district wants from the program now: a coach who can keep Oxford competitive while building relationships with players and families. In a community where high school sports carry real weight, Kennedy’s arrival gives Oxford girls basketball a new direction and a standard that will be judged long before the first tipoff.