PVAM names Charles McClelland as Athletics Director

Prairie View, Tex. - Prairie View A&M University officials have announced the hiring of Charles McClelland as its new athletics director.

McClelland will oversee 17 sports -- nine women’s sports and eight men’s. His daily duties will include overseeing budgets, scheduling, fund raising, marketing and keeping abreast of NCAA rules and regulations. In doing so, his biggest task will be to revive a program that was once a powerhouse.

“We want to return Prairie View A&M to the pinnacle of athletic excellence it once enjoyed. This university is too rich in tradition not to have a top-notch athletics program.” said McClelland. “We have some things that need to be done, such as increasing our scholarships and building and improving our facilities. Those things are not unattainable.”

An eight-year veteran at Prairie View A&M, McClelland served as assistant to the dean and director of development in the School of Architecture. In the School of Architecture, his primary responsibilities included assisting with day-to-day operations, all fiscal activity and management of over a $1.5 million budget. During his stint in the School of Architecture he was instrumental in starting a pilot laptop computer program for students.

A strong advocate that athletics should work hand-in-hand with the academic sector, McClelland believes that an athletics program is the corner stone for gaining the institution additional recognition academically.

“ A lot of the public spotlight we receive at Prairie View A&M comes through our athletics programs,” McClelland added. “With successful sports programs, we’ll have greater avenues to showcase our excellent academic programs.”

Before joining the School of Architecture in 1998, McClelland was the assistant director of financial aid at the university, where he awarded all scholarships. He was also senior staff accountant from 1994 to 1996 and staff accountant from 1993 to 1994 at the university.

No stranger to athletics, McClelland has served as a member of the university’s Athletic Council the past four years and color commentator on the Panther Sports Network radio broadcast since 1996. During the 1996-97 school year, he served as head men’s and women’s golf coach.

“The appointment as athletics director is a tremendous responsibility and a great honor,” stated McClelland. “It’s gives me a great level of confidence that Dr. Hines has offered me an opportunity to meet the challenges of restoring the athletics program.”

A 1993 graduate of Prairie View A&M, McClelland earned his B.A. in accounting and in 1997 he received an MBA from Prairie View A&M. He is currently in his final year pursuing a Ph.D. in higher education administration at Texas A&M University.

A native of Jackson, Mississippi, McClelland’s extra-curricular affiliations include memberships in the Prairie View A&M University National Alumni Association, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Phi Beta Lambda and the National Association of Black Accountants.

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