Hampton University promotes Paula L. Jackson to interim athletic director
Hampton University announced on Tuesday that Paula L. Jackson will become its Interim Director of Athletics, beginning Jan. 4.
Jackson currently serves as Deputy Director of Athletics/Chief of Staff and Senior Woman Administrator, according to a release from the school. She will replace Eugene Marshall, who will leave to become the Director of Athletics at Binghamton University in New York after eight years as AD at Hampton.
“I look forward to working closely with [HU] President [Darrell K.] Williams in this new role, and expanding my leadership with our administration, coaches and athletics staff as we continue to build leaders and champions,” Jackson said. “I welcome the opportunity to lead Hampton Athletics into our next chapter as well as help deliver the [No. 1] student experience to our student-athletes.”
Jackson served previously as the Director of Athletics at Savannah State and Lincoln University. She is currently the sport administrator for the HU men’s basketball and football teams.
She is also credited as the lead administrator behind the addition of women’s soccer and triathlon as well as men’s lacrosse at HU. Jackson’s biography on the HU Athletics website describes her as the “catalyst” for revising the department’s Academic Progress Rate program, resulting in perfect scores of 1,000 for numerous teams.
The football team’s most recent APR was the highest of any Historically Black College and University in the nation. Jackson has represented HU on several NCAA committees, including for Women’s Basketball Oversight.
Jackson is a graduate of Southern University with a degree in broadcast and print journalism. She earned a marketing MBA from Clark University and a PhD in Education from Northcentral University.
Jackson is also CEO of Sports Enfocus, LLC, a public relations and development firm dedicated to sports entities and personalities.
