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Florida A&M looked towards the Southwestern Athletic Conference headquarters for a solution to uphold its athletic academic performance.
At Thursday, June 11’s Board of Trustees and Full Board Meeting, FAMU’s Vice President and Director of Athletics, John Davis, announced the hiring of Reginald Thomas, who is now the Associate Vice President for Athletics and Academic Excellence.
Thomas comes from the SWAC office in Birmingham, where he served as Associate Commissioner for Administration on Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland’s staff since 2021. FAMU’s sports have competed in the SWAC since 2021.
“He has spent decades building the systems and structure that help student-athletes succeed in the classroom, retain eligibility, and graduate,” Davis said at Thursday’s meeting.
“Reggie will lead the department’s cross-functional collaboration efforts, and his leadership will be instrumental as we continue to strengthen our academic and compliance infrastructure.”
The former Clark-Atlanta University four-year football letterman and assistant coach has a history of working at Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Florida. At Bethune-Cookman, Thomas had stints as the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance Services and then the Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Student Support Services.
In Daytona Beach, he oversaw an office of five members, with two full-time and two graduate assistants, while having direct involvement with over 300 Bethune-Cookman Wildcat student-athletes. He was honored by the Mid-Eastern Conference and former Bethune-Cookman athletic director Lynn Thompson as the staff member of the year.
Davis gave Thomas props for his history with “NCAA compliance and academic support,” something that FAMU could utilize. Compliance has played a role in the Rattler football team’s two-decade battle with the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate, which currently has the program on Level Two sanctions, including a postseason ban for the 2026 season and spring 2027 practice restrictions.
Moreover, FAMU has a strong overall student-athlete performance rate, with a 3.16 department-wide grade-point average during the spring 2026 semester and 32 graduates. Women’s tennis led with a 3.68.
Football had a 3.05 cumulative GPA in Quinn Fordham Gray Sr.’s first semester as head coach. It was a leap from a 2.57 in fall 2025.
“Thank you for the good hire on Reggie. He came from the SWAC. He’s a good hire,” said FAMU board of trustees chair Deveron Gibbons. “I’m glad that you moved in that direction.”
All times are Eastern
Gerald Thomas, III, is a multi-time national award-winning reporter for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat.
Follow his award-winning coverage on RattlerNews.com and contact him via email at [email protected] or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU AD John Davis hires Reginald Thomas as VP for athletic academics
Continue reading...
At Thursday, June 11’s Board of Trustees and Full Board Meeting, FAMU’s Vice President and Director of Athletics, John Davis, announced the hiring of Reginald Thomas, who is now the Associate Vice President for Athletics and Academic Excellence.
Thomas comes from the SWAC office in Birmingham, where he served as Associate Commissioner for Administration on Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland’s staff since 2021. FAMU’s sports have competed in the SWAC since 2021.
“He has spent decades building the systems and structure that help student-athletes succeed in the classroom, retain eligibility, and graduate,” Davis said at Thursday’s meeting.
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“Reggie will lead the department’s cross-functional collaboration efforts, and his leadership will be instrumental as we continue to strengthen our academic and compliance infrastructure.”
The former Clark-Atlanta University four-year football letterman and assistant coach has a history of working at Historically Black Colleges and Universities in Florida. At Bethune-Cookman, Thomas had stints as the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance Services and then the Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Student Support Services.
In Daytona Beach, he oversaw an office of five members, with two full-time and two graduate assistants, while having direct involvement with over 300 Bethune-Cookman Wildcat student-athletes. He was honored by the Mid-Eastern Conference and former Bethune-Cookman athletic director Lynn Thompson as the staff member of the year.
Davis gave Thomas props for his history with “NCAA compliance and academic support,” something that FAMU could utilize. Compliance has played a role in the Rattler football team’s two-decade battle with the NCAA’s Academic Progress Rate, which currently has the program on Level Two sanctions, including a postseason ban for the 2026 season and spring 2027 practice restrictions.
Moreover, FAMU has a strong overall student-athlete performance rate, with a 3.16 department-wide grade-point average during the spring 2026 semester and 32 graduates. Women’s tennis led with a 3.68.
Football had a 3.05 cumulative GPA in Quinn Fordham Gray Sr.’s first semester as head coach. It was a leap from a 2.57 in fall 2025.
“Thank you for the good hire on Reggie. He came from the SWAC. He’s a good hire,” said FAMU board of trustees chair Deveron Gibbons. “I’m glad that you moved in that direction.”
Florida A&M football 2026 schedule
All times are Eastern
- Saturday, Aug. 29: vs. Albany State, 7 p.m., SWAC TV
- Sunday, Sept. 6: vs. South Carolina State, Orange Blossom Classic at Miami Gardens' Hard Rock Stadium, 3 p.m., ESPNU
- Thursday, Sept. 10: at Miami, 8 p.m., ACC Network
- Saturday, Sept. 19: vs. Tennessee State, 7 p.m., HBCU GO
- Saturday, Sept. 26: vs. Alabama A&M (SWAC), 7 p.m., SWAC TV
- Saturday, Oct. 3: BYE
- Saturday, Oct. 10: at Alabama State (SWAC), 3 p.m., HBCU GO
- Saturday, Oct. 17: at Jackson State (SWAC), 3 p.m., ESPN Network
- Saturday, Oct. 24: vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (SWAC/Homecoming), 3 p.m., HBCU GO
- Saturday, Oct. 31: vs. Southern (SWAC), 3 p.m., HBCU GO
- Saturday, Nov. 7: at Alcorn State (SWAC), 3 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 14: vs. Mississippi Valley State (SWAC), 3 p.m., SWAC TV
- Saturday, Nov. 21: vs. Bethune-Cookman (SWAC/Florida Classic), 3:30 p.m., ESPN+
Gerald Thomas, III, is a multi-time national award-winning reporter for his coverage of the Florida A&M Rattlers at the Tallahassee Democrat.
Follow his award-winning coverage on RattlerNews.com and contact him via email at [email protected] or on the app formerly known as Twitter @3peatgee.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU AD John Davis hires Reginald Thomas as VP for athletic academics
Continue reading...
