LeMoyne-Owen College has appointed veteran HBCU athletics administrator Roderick Smothers Jr. as its new director of athletics, effective July 1.
Smothers will lead efforts to strengthen recruiting, improve operations and enhance athletic performance while advancing the student-athlete experience at the SIAC member school.
“I am a strong advocate for HBCUs and amplifying the need to inspire the next generation of athletic administrators,” Smothers said in a statement. “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 served as assistant athletic director for ticketing at Alabama A&M University, a position he held for the past three years before accepting the LOC job.
Before joining Alabama A&M, Smothers directed the athletics department at Philander Smith University from 2020 to 2023. During his tenure, the Panthers won five conference championships and captured two Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Commissioner’s Cups, including the 2023 Thomas Howell Cup, the league’s all-sports championship awarded to the institution that earns the most points across men’s and women’s sports sponsored by the conference and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics.
Smothers also served as president of the GCAC, now the HBCUAC, where he managed the league’s operations and represented the conference on the Athletic Directors Association board.
LeMoyne-Owen College President Christopher B. Davis said Smothers’ appointment aligns with the institution’s commitment to expanding opportunities for student-athletes and building a competitive athletics program.
“At LeMoyne-Owen College, we are dedicated to preparing students for driving success, leadership and impact in their fields,” Davis said in a statement. “As LOC continues to build tremendous momentum, appointing Roderick Smothers Jr. as our director of athletics ignites a new era for athletics and joins our collective mission for advancing opportunities and championship contention for our institution.”
