Alcorn State University President Felecia M. Nave, Ph.D., announced the selection of Raynoid Dedeaux as the university’s new director of athletics on Monday. He will begin his duties on April 1.
Dedeaux, who is no stranger to Lorman, Miss., played football for the Braves and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Alcorn State University in secondary education and athletic administration. He returns home with nearly two decades of Div. I athletics administration experience.
“We are elated to welcome AD Dedeaux back to Alcorn,” said Nave. “As a former student-athlete and alumnus, he understands Alcorn’s solid winning tradition. He is a proven leader with a track record of success as a fundraiser and innovator.
During the search for the next director of athletics, Alcorn partnered with Collegiate Sports Associates (CSA), a nationally recognized executive search firm specializing in intercollegiate athletic hiring for colleges and universities. In addition, an advisory search committee was used to ensure that multiple, diverse voices were part of the process representing current and alumni student-athletes, university leaders, and donors.
“I am truly humbled and honored to have been selected to serve as the next Director of Athletics at my alma mater,” said Dedeaux. “I would like to thank President Nave and the search committee for trusting me with this awesome responsibility. President Nave’s vision for the entire university, coupled with the alumni’s collective passion for greatness, made this the right choice for my family and me. I am excited to get to work building on Alcorn’s rich history and working with Brave student-athletes, coaches, and stakeholders to create this institution’s next chapter of excellence.”
Dedeaux had been with the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) since 2006, and in January 2022, he was named Deputy Commissioner, serving as the league’s No. 2 behind Commissioner Sonja Stills. He is a highly qualified professional with extensive experience managing sports operations. Also, Dedeaux brings expertise in strategic sports planning, corporate partnerships, revenue generation, budget management, and negotiations.
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“AD Dedeaux’s record shows us that he has what it takes to lead Braves Athletics into the future,” said Dr. Tracy Cook, chair of the search committee and vice president of student affairs. “We wanted someone who understands Alcorn’s culture of excellence in athletics and can rise to the occasion to meet the needs of our student-athletes and coaches. I want to thank our stakeholder groups, April Stampley, committee support staff; and the search committee members for their hard work and dedication throughout this process.
As the Brave’s new director of athletics, Dedeaux will plan and direct intercollegiate athletics’ overall administrative and operational activities for the school. Dedeaux takes over an Alcorn athletic program with a rich and winning history. Alcorn is home to champions and scholars amassing a stellar championship record in football, having captured the SWAC East Division crown and appeared in the SWAC Football Championship game in all six seasons in which the team participated, taking home the conference title four times (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019).
In women’s tennis, Alcorn won the SWAC Championship in 2016 and appeared in the title match in back-to-back years (2018, 2019).
Softball had back-to-back SWAC East Division titles in 2017 and 2018 and a SWAC Championship game appearance in 2021. Women’s soccer reached the SWAC Tournament for the fourth time in program history in 2021. In 2021, the women’s cross country team claimed the first cross country championship in the program’s history.
Academically, 203 student-athletes have earned degrees since 2016. In 2018-19, 133 student-athletes posted grade point averages of 3.0 or higher, and 13 of the 15 athletic programs achieved cumulative GPAs of 3.0 or higher.
In January 2021, Dedeaux was elevated to Senior Associate Commissioner for Championships and Administration. Previously, Dedeaux has served the MEAC as Assistant Commissioner for Championships, Director of Championships, and Assistant Director of Championships and Compliance.
Dedeaux has supervised the MEAC’s football and men’s basketball operations and officiating programs for football, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, baseball, and softball. In addition, he served as the conference’s liaison to the head coaches and Directors of Athletics, and he also was the overall manager of the conference’s annual Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament.
During his time with the MEAC, Dedeaux has overseen a marked increase in attendance at the Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournament throughout his tenure with the conference.
At the forefront of innovation among FCS football conferences, Dedeaux led the MEAC in becoming the first FCS league to implement instant replay for football. He also established the use of Vokkero hands-free communications devices for on-field football officials, and he has also supervised the NFL’s HBCU Careers in Football forum and helped launch the MEAC Digital Network.
As the MEAC’s liaison to several high-profile corporate partners, Dedeaux has worked with Nike, ESPN, the NFL, Coca-Cola, Russell Athletic, and Spalding.
Dedeaux helped generate revenue, to the tune of over $20 million for the conference’s member institutions, with research and executing corporate partner activations. $12.5 million of that came from negotiations with Nike.
During Dedeaux’s tenure, the MEAC saw such sports as women’s volleyball, women’s bowling, indoor track & field, baseball, and softball broadcast on a number on ESPN platforms, in addition to football and basketball.
Before his tenure with the MEAC, Dedeaux spent a year as the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance at Coppin State University. On top of his responsibilities to ensure the school’s 14 Division I programs were compliant with NCAA and MEAC regulations, Dedeaux also oversaw game operations for the department.
Before joining Coppin State, Dedeaux interned at the MEAC from August 2004 to June 2005, working primarily in the Office of the Commissioner. He also managed ticket operations, scheduling, and vendors/exhibitors for the 2005 MEAC Basketball Tournament.
Dedeaux is currently a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) and Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA). In addition, he served on the NCAA Division I Sports/Management Cabinet, NCAA Olympic Sports Committee, and NCAA Division I Championships/Competition Cabinet Committee.
Dedeaux began his professional career as a physical education teacher in Jackson, Miss, working as an assistant track & field and football coach.
A native of DeLisle, Miss., Dedeaux is married to Shamika, and has a daughter Kristyn Marie and son Raynoid Cameron II.
Courtesy: Alcorn State Athletics
