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- Title
- Director of Athletics
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- athleticdirector@tnstate.edu
Dr.MikkiAllenhas provided outstanding leadership and vision since taking the helm in May of 2020, guiding the Tigers to unprecedented growth and success.
Allenbrought an extremely qualified background to Tennessee State University after 11 years at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, where his resume boasts more than a decade of fundraising, student-athlete development, business operations, and administrative experience.
Upon his arrival,Allenimmediately began to transform the athletics department, hiring key personnel to fill executive positions in external operations inclusive of fundraising, marketing, communications, and fan engagement. During the same time,Allenrestructured the internal affairs staff to create more effective and efficient workflow and productivity.
Allenand his executive leadership team developed new policies and procedures to guide the department’s operations for its’ 15 sports programs and 300 plus student-athletes.In addition, to implementing new guidelines for operational effectiveness, Tennessee State Athletics’ five-year strategic plan was also unveiled. “Tigers Forward,” the strategic plan for Tennessee State Athletics, defines the priorities and values for the program’s future success, laying outAllen’s vision in five core areas ranging from competitive excellence, student-athlete enrichment, revenue generation, stakeholder engagement, and resource enhancement.
Allenstated,thatTigers Forwardembodies the program’s steadfast dedication to progress, excellence, and the indomitable Tiger spirit,” "By embracing innovation and leveraging our storied history, TSU Athletics is poised to achieve unprecedented heights while remaining deep rooted in its’ origins.”
DuringAllen’s tenure, success has spanned across the board, as TSU Athletics has made significant strides academically and athletically.UnderAllen’s direction, the Tigers have seen a historic rise in academic achievement. During Fall 2023, the department had a record 177 student-athletes earn academic honors, with 39 earning perfect 4.0 GPAs. In addition,Allenhas overseen an unprecedented departmental grade point average increase to 3.30—the highest cumulative department-wide grade point average recorded in the program’s history.TSU Athletics boasts an 82 percent GSR to complement nearly 300 OVC Academic Honor Roll selections since 2020.
Allenhas received high marks hiring coaches as well. By aligning coaching excellence with a robust support system,Allenhas ensured that Tennessee State University athletes are not only champions in their sports but also in their academic and personal lives.Allen’s high-impact hires at Tennessee State University include head football coach Eddie George, TennesseeTitans legend,NFL All-Pro, Heisman Trophy winner, head women’s basketball coach and WNBA legend, Candice Dupree, director of tennis- Todd Smith, and head softball coach Genee McGrath.Allenalso solidified a contract for legendary TSU Tigerbelle and director of track and field/cross country, Chandra Cheeseborough.
Allen’s strategic hires have yielded impressive results as several sports programs have experienced a resurgence in competitive success, achieving record-breaking seasons and student-athletes earning individual accolades. This includes 60 All-OVC selections, six All-Americans, and the FCS Football National Defensive Player of the Year award. Additionally, TSU volleyball won the 2022 Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Championship and advanced to the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers finished sixth in the 2022-23 Commissioner Cup Standings with 63.5 points, its highest finish in program history.
TSU Football secured its first winning season since 2017 after finishing 6-5 in 2023. In addition, TerrellAllenwas the recipient of the 2023 Buck Buchanan Award (FCS National Defensive Football P.O.Y.) and was named the OVC-Big South Defensive Player of the Year, marking the first major conference award for a TSU student-athlete under Dr.Allen.
The men’s tennis team started off the 2023-24 season by winning the HBCU National Championship in the fall and finished the spring slate with a 4-1 record in Horizon League play, marking the program's best finish in conference play.
The 2024 TSU softball team finished third in the OVC, marking the highest finish in the OVC for the Tigers in program history. The Tigers earned back-to-back OVC Tournament bids in 2023 and 2024 after securing the program's third and fourth 20-win seasons. TSU softball posted three tournament wins in that span, collecting two wins in the 2024 OVC Tournament.
TSU men’s and women’s basketball have made three consecutive trips to the OVC Tournament respectively tallying 6 tournament wins. For TSU women’s basketball this has not been achieved since the 2013-14, 2014-15, and 2015-16 seasons. Additionally, TSU men’s basketball has reached back-to-back 18-win seasons- - (18-14) 2022-23 and (18-15) 2023-2024.
TSU women's tennis secured the program's first-ever wins in the OVC tournament after earning first-round victories in 2023 and 2024, including a 4-1 win over Lindenwood in 2023 for the first-ever postseason victory, and a 4-2 win in 2024.
Erin Marcelino became the first-ever TSU women's golfer to earn an OVC postseason accolade after being named to the All-OVC Newcomer team in 2023. She picked up her second career honor in the spring of 2024, being named to the All-OVC Women’s Golf Team.
Additionally, Tennessee State track and field has totaled 44 combined medals in indoor and outdoor OVC Championship meets. Five athletes have advanced to regionals, including R'Lazon Brumfield, who advanced to the NCAA Outdoor Championships in 2022, placing 11th in the Men's Triple Jump. Serenity Harry was named the OVC Indoor and Outdoor Freshman of the Year in 2023, while Elaina Housworth was named the Indoor Female Field Athlete of the Year.
Allenhas seen 17 athletes sign professional contracts and go on to play professionally and overseas, including three football players, three volleyball players, and 11 men’s basketball athletes duringAllen's tenure as the Director of Athletics.
Allen’s emphasis on the student-athlete experience has been just as strong, meeting both traditional needs and those associated with the Cost of Attendance (COA), Name Image and Likeness (NIL) and transfer-portal era.Allenis responsible for creating TSU Athletics’ first position designated for student-athlete services and “NIL Initiatives”, and introducing the “Becoming” program, which specializes in theholistic development of student-athletes in the areas of leadership, community, and career development.Allenalso has placed an emphasis on enhancing the health and well-being for Tennessee State University’s student-athletes by implementing the “Tiger Fuel” program and hiring an administrative position to oversee and manage the NCAA’s new holistic model for student-athletes in the areas of health, wellness, and sports performance.
Facility enhancement has been at the forefront ofAllen’s leadership at Tennessee State University. Since 2020,Allenhas overseen the transformation of a variety of facilities during his tenure through renovation or new construction efforts.
Recent updates to Tennessee State University facilities include the following improvements:
Gentry Center
- Aesthetic enhancements, including painting, graphics, and an icons/legends wall.
- Installation of new Samsung video boards, scorer’s tables, and courtside seating.
- Creation of a branded basketball court.
- Addition of a new sports medicine center featuring a hydrotherapy room with large hot and cold tubs, reducing strain on the primary athletic training room.
- Renovation of locker rooms for men's and women's track and field.
Indoor Practice Complex
- Installation of new turf.
- Introduction of a new weight room.
Ed Temple Track Facility
- Installation of a new track surface.
Softball Team Facilities
- Facility maintenance to the press box and locker rooms
- New branded Windscreen and fencing updates
- Installation of new netting in the hitting facility.
- Field maintenance enhancements to the playing surface.
Nissan Stadium
- Graphic enhancements in the football locker room.
Kean Hall
- Graphic enhancements in the volleyball locker room.
- Resurfacing of the court.
Hankal Hall
- Aesthetic improvements to the football coaches' and players' office suite.
Golf Facilities
- Construction of a new developmental hitting area for men's and women's golf.
Additionally,Allenhas overseen the completion of an athletic facility master plan addressing key capital priorities, including:
- A state-of-the-art operations building.
- Enhancements to William Jasper Hale Stadium.
- Development of the Covington Pavilion-Basketball Practice Facility.
- Upgrades to the University’s Tennis Complex.
Fundraising and external revenue generation for Tennessee State Athletics underAllenhas reached unprecedented heights, helping to bolster the operating budgets of all (15) sports programs.With his extensive background in development,Allenlaunched the Tennessee State Athletic Fund (TSAF), a fundraising arm dedicated to providing financial resources necessary for student-athletes to have a championship level educational and athletic experience. Since establishing the TSAF, membership has eclipsed over 1,000 members, raising over $5 million including the largest private gift commitment in its’ long-storied history whereas TSU alum and NBA star, Robert Covington agreed to make a seven-figure gift in support of men’s and women’s basketball.By implementing incentives and giving levels annual giving has increased more than 400% underAllen.
In addition to increasing TSU Athletics’ fundraising profile,Allenhas also generated the largest amount of external revenue in the history of the department through negotiating unprecedented- - game guarantees (i.e. Notre Dame $1M), increased corporate sponsorships, multi-media rights deals (Playfly), increased ticket sales, and realizing a historic multi-year apparel contract with Under Armour.
Understanding that media accessibility is key to recruiting and alumni/fan engagement,Allenlaunched the Big Blue Sports Network, an extension to the TSU Athletics’ Media Relations Department which serves as the exclusive home for all TSU video/audio content as well as live broadcasts on the ESPN-Plus platform. He also solidified/negotiated an unprecedented partnership between TSU Athletics and Sirius XM Radio/WNSR for TSU football and men’s and women’s basketball statewide/national radio broadcasts/coverage.
Allenhas also been active at the university, conference, and national level throughout his career. On a national level, he serves on Under Armour’s Coalition for Minority Football Coaches (NCMFC, where he was a guest panelist at the ‘22 NCMFC Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Prior to arriving at Tennessee State University,Allenexperienced a brief stint in the NFL ended due to injury.Allenjoined the University of Tennessee Athletics staff in 2009 and excelled during multiple record-breaking fundraising years.Allenplayed an invaluable role for Tennessee Athletics in helping to secure more than $20 million in capital campaign gifts during his tenure as an elite athletics fundraiser.
Under his leadership, Tennessee Athletics set a new standard in the Southeastern Conference by creating a comprehensive development and transitional assistance program for football student-athletes. The program was designed to guide football student-athletes at the point of enrollment through their transition to post-football professional careers.
Allen, a native of Murfreesboro, Tenn. received his Bachelor of Arts and Science degree at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville in 2001, where he was a four-year letterman and member of the 1998 National Championship team.
Allenhas strong ties to Tennessee State University, where he earned his master’s degree in sports administration. His wife, brother, and grandparents all received their undergraduate and graduate degrees from the university as well.Allenholds a doctorate degree in educational leadership from Trevecca Nazarene University. He and his wife, Jekia BurkeAllen, have two children, Mikenzie (16), and Jansen (12).
