Ashley Robinson is leaving Jackson State University after eight years leading the school’s athletic department.
But he isn’t going far from the HBCU sports spotlight.
Robinson is headed back to Texas.
On Wednesday, the Texas Southern University Board of Regents approved President J.W. Crawford’s recommendation to hire Robinson as the university’s next vice president of athletic, according to a report by Houston Defender’s Terrance Harris .
The move brings Robinson back to the Lone Star State, where he previously served as athletic director at Prairie View A&M before returning to his hometown of Jackson, Mississippi, to take over at Jackson State.
During his time at JSU, Robinson helped transform the Tigers into one of the most prominent athletic programs in HBCU sports.
Texas Southern also approved the hiring of Seton Hall assistant Corey Lowery as men’s basketball coach a day after Tigers players protested to keep interim coach Shyrone Chatman.
Ashley Robinson turned JSU athletics into an HBCU standard
Since taking over in 2018, Jackson State has captured national championships and 32 conference titles across its athletic programs. Robinson also earned widespread recognition for his leadership, including eight National Athletics Director of the Year awards and back-to-back HBCU Athletic Director of the Year honors.
Perhaps his biggest impact came through the coaches and personalities he brought to Jackson State.
Robinson played a key role in landing Deion Sanders as the Tigers’ football coach, launching what became one of the most talked-about eras in modern HBCU football. He also hired Mo Williams to lead the men’s basketball program.
What Ashley Robinson hire means for Texas Southern
Under Robinson’s leadership, Jackson State athletics became a national story, drawing increased attention, winning championships and elevating the profile of the university.
Now, Robinson will attempt to bring that same success to Texas Southern.
For TSU, the hire represents a major move as the university looks to strengthen its athletic department and compete at a higher level within the SWAC.
For Robinson, it is a return to familiar territory — and the beginning of a new chapter after eight highly successful years at Jackson State.
