Texas Southern: Board Committees Back Ashley Robinson for AD, Split on Corey Lowery; Vote still on Aug. 19

HOUSTON -- Two Texas Southern University Board of Regents committees -- personnel and athletics -- voted Friday to recommend Ashley Robinson as the university's next vice president and director of athletics.

In contrast, committee members were divided on the recommendation of Corey Lowery as the next head men's basketball coach, sources told HBCU Legends.

Note: Lowery retained support from members of both committees despite the divided vote. The full board holds final authority over his appointment Aug. 19.

The Personnel Committee and Athletics Committee met Friday to consider the candidates recommended by Texas Southern President James W. Crawford III for the university's two vacant leadership positions.

Robinson received unanimous support from both committees. The committees were not unanimous on Lowery's candidacy.

The recommendations now move to the full Board of Regents, which is scheduled to meet in a special session Aug. 19. The board will have the final authority to approve or reject the candidates.

Robinson Receives Unanimous Committee Support

Robinson has served as vice president and director of athletics at Jackson State University since 2018. Before joining Jackson State, he spent five years as director of athletics at Prairie View A&M University.

His tenure at Jackson State included the September 2020 hiring of Deion Sanders as head football coach. The Tigers won consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference championships under Sanders and advanced to the Cricket Celebration Bowl three times during Robinson's tenure, winning the national championship in 2024.

Also, the women's basketball team led by Tomekia Reed won multiple SWAC regular season and tournament championships under Robinson.

Texas Southern has operated without a permanent director of athletics since Kevin Granger's departure. Dr. Paula L. Jackson has served as interim vice president and director of athletics.

If approved by the full board, Robinson would return to Texas after his previous tenure at Prairie View A&M and assume responsibility for an athletics department that has been operating under interim leadership.

Robinson remains Jackson State's vice president and director of athletics unless and until the Texas Southern Board of Regents approves his appointment and he officially accepts the position.

Committees Divided on Lowery

The committees reached a different result regarding Lowery, who has emerged as Crawford's recommended candidate to succeed Johnny Jones as Texas Southern's men's basketball coach.

Lowery spent four seasons on Shaheen Holloway's staff at Seton Hall University, where the Pirates won the 2024 NIT championship.

His previous head-coaching experience was at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, where he led the Lions for two seasons. Lowery was named CIAA Coach of the Year following the 2021-22 season after Lincoln finished second in the Northern Division despite entering the season with a preseason projection of 10th.

Texas Southern has been without a permanent men's basketball coach since Jones resigned April 7 after eight seasons to join Will Wade's staff at LSU. Shyrone Chatman has served as interim head coach.

The split committee vote leaves Lowery's candidacy subject to the full board's consideration Aug. 19.

Full Board to Decide Aug. 19

The full body of the Texas Southern Board of Regents will convene in special session Aug. 19 to consider Crawford's recommendations for vice president and director of athletics and head men's basketball coach.

The special-session agenda identifies the positions but does not name the candidates.

Crawford announced Aug. 11 that he had identified the candidates he intended to recommend to the board but did not publicly disclose their names.

Friday's committee votes provide the first formal indication of how the recommendations have been received within the board's committee structure.

However, neither Robinson nor Lowery has officially been hired by Texas Southern.

Robinson remains at Jackson State, while Lowery holds no formal position at Texas Southern pending action by the full Board of Regents.

The outcome of the Aug. 19 vote will determine whether Texas Southern fills both positions this month -- potentially ending two high-profile searches at once -- or whether the university must continue its search for a permanent men's basketball coach.

For Texas Southern, the wait now moves from the committee rooms to the boardroom.

HBCU Legends will continue to follow the Texas Southern leadership and men's basketball searches as the Board of Regents prepares for its Aug. 19 special session.

Will the Chairman James M. Benham, President James W. Crawford III, and the TSU Board of Regents hire both, or will a new strategy emerge after Wednesday's meeting?

We shall see.

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