Tennessee State athletic director under fire following no-confidence letter

One HBCU AD is in for an uncomfortable summer.

Tennessee State athletic director Dr. Mikki Allen was the subject of a no-confidence letter signed by no less than six TSU head coaches, according to a report from Mike Organ of The Tennesseean.

University president Dewayne Tucker acknowledged that he received the letter May 29, with signatures from men’s basketball coach Nolan Smith, women’s basketball coach Candice Dupree, football coach Reggie Barlow, track coach Chandra Cheeseborough, volleyball coach Donika Sutton and softball coach Genee McRath.

“The only statement I would make at this stage is that we are aware of the concerns raised by coaches and we take these things very seriously,” Tucker said. “We will be reviewing the concerns, and that’s pretty much all I can talk about right now.”

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“This Vote of No Confidence is not rooted in personal grievance, but rather in a collective belief that the department can and should operate at a higher standard consistent with the values, mission, and potential of Tennessee State University,” the letter reads.

Why Tennessee State coaches gave no confidence vote

Several concerns include inconsistent communication and lack of operational transparency, uneven allocation of resources and support among programs, lack of clear departmental vision, structure and accountability.

The letter also outlines concerns about the direction of the Athletic Department, as well as proper support across the several programs at Tennessee State. Additionally, there were issues about collaboration on the well-being of student-athletes.

Allen was hired by then-president Glenda Glover in 2020 to replace the retiring Teresa Phillips.

Tags: Tennessee State