Texas Southern University committees have endorsed Ashley Robinson for the role of vice president and director of athletics. While Robinson secured unanimous support, regents were divided over Corey Lowery's candidacy for the basketball head coaching role .
Ashley Robinson's championship pedigree at Jackson State
Ashley Robinson enters the Texas Southern University search with a significant track record of success in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. As reported by HBCU Legends, Robinson has served as the vice president and director of athletics at Jackson State University since 2018, a tenure marked by high-profile successes. Most notably, his leadership coincided with the 2020 hiring of Deion Sanders, which helped propel the Tigers to multiple championships and a 2024 national title. Robinson also oversaw the women's basketball team, led by Tomekia Reed, during several SWAC championship runs.
Robinson's professional history includes five years as the director of athletics at Prairie View A&M University. This previous experience in Texas suggests a familiarity with the regional landscape that the Texas Southern Board of Regents may find valuable as they look to stabilize the department.
The split vote over Corey Lowery's coaching candidacy
The path for Corey Lowery to become the head men's basketball coach at Texas Southern University is significantly more complicated than Robinson's. While Robinson received unanimous backing, the Personnel and Athletics comittees were divided on Lowery's recommendation. According to the report, Lowery has maintained support from various committee members despite the lack of consensus.
Lowery brings a diverse coaching background to the table, having served on Shaheen Holloway's staff at Seton Hall University during their 2024 NIT championship run. he also previously led Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, where he earned CIAA Coach of the Year honors for the 2021-22 season after leading the Lions to a second-place finish in the Northern Division.
Ending the interim era of Dr. Paula L. Jackson and Shyrone Chatman
Texas Southern University has been navigating a period of leadership transition in both its athletic administration and its basketball program. The athletics department has been operating under the interim leadership of Dr. Paula L. Jackson following the departure of former director Kevin Granger .
The Texas Southern University men's basketball program has also been without a permanent head coach since Johnny Jones resigned on April 7 to join the staff at LSU. Shyrone Chatman has been managing the team in an interim capacity during this vacancy. The successufl appointment of both Robinson and a permanent coach would represent a major shift toward long-term stability for the university.
Will the August 19 special session resolve both vacancies?
The final decision rests with the full Texas Southern Board of Regents, which is scheduled to covene for a special session on August 19. This meeting will determine whether the university can finalize both high-profile leadership roles at once or if further searches will be required.
Several questions remain for the board and President James W. Crawford III. While the report notes the vote was divided, it does not specify the exact nature of the dissent or the arguments raised by those who opposed Lowery. It remains to be seen whether the full board will prioritize Lowery's recent success at Seton Hall or the concerns that split the committees.
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