The Prairie View A&M University Director of Athletics search committee has selected six finalists to interview for the position. On-campus forums with each finalist have been scheduled over a two-week span from June 4 to June 13 at 9 a.m. inside the A.I. Thomas Administration Building’s Becton Auditorium. Alumni, students, faculty and staff along with the general public are invited to attend the forums as the finalists will share their vision for PVAMU athletics.
The finalists are Dr. Tamica Smith-Jones, Troy Mathieu, Henry Frazier III, Shelly Davis-Hill, Derrick Ramsey and Ashley Robinson. The finalists are listed in order of their on-campus visits.
Dr. Tamica Smith-Jones, current director of athletics at Clark Atlanta University since 2008. Smith-Jones has been at CAU since 2002 in a variety of roles ranging from AD, SWA to Director of Compliance. Smith-Jones also served as the Senior Associate AD at Morris Brown College and is the resident/founder of TJ Sports Complete, Inc., a non-profit organization that helps expose parents and youth to the resources needed to make a smooth transition from high school to college.
Campus Open Forum: Tuesday, June 4, 9:00 a.m., A.I. Thomas Building (Becton Auditorium)
Troy Mathieu, executive director of athletics at Grand Prairie ISD since 2009. Mathieu has also served as the athletic director of Washington D.C. Public Schools, Grambling State University and was the Assistant Superintendent of Athletics for Dallas ISD. He’s the former Executive Director of the Nokia Sugar Bowl and was the Vice President of Sports Marketing for the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce. He also serves on the Board of Directors (treasurer) for the Credit Union of Texas.
Campus Open Forum: Wednesday, June 5, 9:00 a.m., A.I. Thomas Building (Becton Auditorium)
Henry Frazier III, current head football coach at North Carolina Central since 2011. Frazier was the former head football coach at Prairie View A&M University from 2004 to 2010 in which he guided the Panthers to the 2009 SWAC Championship. The 2009 Eddie Robinson Award Winner, Frazier also served as head coach at Bowie State prior to Prairie View A&M and is currently pursuing his PhD at Prairie View A&M.
Campus Open Forum: Thursday, June 6, 9:00 a.m., A.I. Thomas Building (Becton Auditorium)
Shelly Davis-Hill, senior associate athletic director/senior woman administrator at Howard University since 2011. Davis-Hill served at the SWAC Office as the SWAC Assistant Commissioner for Championships and was the Director of Education and Professional Development at the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators (NACWAA). She also worked at Virginia Union as the head athletic trainer and North Carolina A&T as Assistant Athletic Director for Student Services.
Campus Open Forum: Tuesday, June 11, 9:00 a.m., A.I. Thomas Building (Becton Auditorium)
Derrick Ramsey, current director of athletics at Coppin State University since 2008. Prior to Coppin State, Ramsey was the AD at Kentucky State University for four years and also served as the state of Kentucky’s Deputy Secretary of Commerce. He also worked at the University of Kentucky as a Community Relations Officer and was the Director of Development and Community Relations. Ramsey also played in the NFL for nine years as a tight end.
Campus Open Forum: Wednesday, June 12, 9:00 a.m., A.I. Thomas Building (Becton Auditorium)
Ashley Robinson, current director of athletics at Mississippi Valley State since 2012. Robinson served as Prairie View A&M’s Assistant Vice President of Athletic Compliance & Academic Advising for three years in addition to the SWAC’s Assistant Commissioner for Compliance for two years. Robinson has also worked in compliance and academic services at Jackson State and Delaware State while also serving as a recreational supervisor for the state of Mississippi.
Campus Open Forum: Thursday, June 13, 9:00 a.m., A.I. Thomas Building (Becton Auditorium)
Vice President of Auxiliary Services Fred Washington, who currently serves as athletic director, will step down from the director post to focus on auxiliary operations
