Black Athletes in the Spotlight: HBCU Sports & Local Highlights
- Roderick Smothers Jr. said he will advocate for HBCUs and inspire the next generation of athletic administrators.
- Native of Vidalia, Louisiana; spent three years as Assistant Athletic Director for Ticketing at Alabama A&M University.
- Led Philander Smith University athletics (2020-2023), winning five championships and two Commissioner's Cups, including the 2023 Thomas Howell Cup.
- Served as president of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, representing the conference on the Athletic Director's Association board.
- LeMoyne-Owen College President Dr. Christopher B. Davis called the hire an ignition of a new era for athletics and momentum toward championships.
LeMoyne-Owen College has named Roderick Smothers Jr. its new Director of Athletics, effective July 1, as the Memphis HBCU looks to build momentum across its Division II athletics program.
Smothers will lead LOC athletics with a focus on recruitment, operations, staffing, athletic performance, and improving the overall student-athlete experience. The move gives LeMoyne-Owen an administrator with experience leading HBCU programs and working across different levels of college athletics.
HBCU administrator Roderick Smothers takes over LOC athletics
“I am a strong advocate for HBCUs and amplifying the need to inspire the next generation of athletic administrators,” Smothers said. “I look forward to working alongside the staff in our collective mission to advance athletics and ensure our student-athletes are on the path to becoming the next leaders.”
Smothers, a native of Vidalia, Louisiana, comes to LeMoyne-Owen after spending the past three years as Assistant Athletic Director for Ticketing at Alabama A&M University.
Before his time at Alabama A&M, Roderick Smothers led the Philander Smith University athletics department from 2020 through 2023. During his tenure, Philander Smith won five championships and captured two Commissioner’s Cups.
That run included the 2023 Thomas Howell Cup, the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference’s all-sports award. The honor goes to the institution with the highest point total across GCAC and NAIA-sponsored men’s and women’s sports.
Roderick Smothers brings HBCU leadership experience to Memphis
Smothers also served as president of the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference. In that role, he managed conference affairs and represented the GCAC as a board member for the Athletic Director’s Association.
LeMoyne-Owen President Dr. Christopher B. Davis said the hire reflects the college’s broader mission.
“As LOC continues to build tremendous momentum, appointing Roderick Smothers Jr. as our Director of Athletics ignites a new era for athletics,” Davis said.
For LeMoyne-Owen, the hire marks a new step in the Memphis HBCU’s push toward stronger athletic operations and championship contention.
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