Five years ago, Allen Greene made history by becoming the first Black athletic director in Auburn history and only the third Black AD in SEC history.
During Greene’s tenure, the athletic department and its student-athletes flourished.
The Tigers won eight conference championships and 44 programs finished in the top 25 nationally. Last year, six programs finished in the top 10, including the gymnastics team, which finished fourth. Joining the ranks of the elites were the men’s basketball program, which made the Final Four for the first time in program history, and the baseball team, which returned to the College World Series for the first time in over two decades.
Greene also built up the department financially, highlighted by the construction of the $92 million, 233,000 square-foot Football Performance Center.
Most importantly though, Auburn’s student-athletes excelled academically, increasing their cumulative GPA from 3.19 to 3.25 during his tenure.
But in college athletics, football rules. So when the Tigers football team failed to duplicate the other successes under Greene, the fan base became restless. Ultimately, he stepped down this past August.
Yet his time off didn’t last long as an old friend, Ole Miss, came calling and brought him back as the Senior Deputy Athletic Director.
“We could not be more excited to add Allen’s leadership to our team,” said Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Keith Carter. “Going back to our time together at OMAF, I know firsthand the type of person and leader that Allen is, and he represents everything that you want in your administration. We look forward to adding his wealth of experience to our department and welcoming his family back to Oxford.”
Greene worked in Oxford from 2009-2012 as Assistant AD for Development. In his new position, according to the release, he will serve as the chief operating officer for the Rebels and will oversee the athletic department’s “external operations and maintain sport oversight of the football program.”
“Simply put, our time at Ole Miss was enormously rewarding, and I couldn’t be more eager about the opportunity to, once again, partner with Keith,” said Greene. “Those around me know of my obsession with caring about the success of others, and I look forward to partnering with Chancellor Boyce, university leadership, athletic department staff/coaches, student-athletes and fans!”
This content has been brought to you by First and Pen in partnership with TheHub.News. First and Pen “amplifies local sports stories from voices of color to the national conscience…”
