College Football’s black excellence: The first Power 5 Athletic Directors

These seven individuals were the first black ADs at Power Five institutions and led some of the biggest college football programs in the country. 

Representation matters. Currently, less than ten percent of FBS head coaches are African-American. That number dwindles the higher up the administrative ladder. There are even fewer African-American University Presidents and Athletic Directors at FBS universities. Putting the microscope on the Power 5, those numbers are even more staggering. Currently, there are 11 coaches in the Power Five, ten black ADs, and just two black presidents.

The era of the black AD began in the late 80s and early 1990s. Some of the first included Gene Smith (on this list), who was first hired at Eastern Michigan in 1986 before leaping the Power 5 in 1993 when Iowa State hired him. Longtime AD Nelson Townsend was hired at Buffalo in 1987. Michigan hired Tom Goss in 1997. Smaller schools were some of the first to hire black ADs. American University hired Lee McElroy in1996, and Idaho State hired Irv Cross the same year.

Currently, fewer than 16 percent of Division 1 schools (including FCS) have black athletic directors. This lack of representation was the inspiration for the formation of the Black AD Alliance. One of the alliance co-chairs, Allen Greene, was recently hired as Auburn’s first black AD.

These are six ADs who are trailblazers for Black ADs now and in the future.