The Lincoln University Appoints Pope as New Athletics Director

Dr. Darryl A. Pope

LINCOLN UNIVERSITY, Pennsylvania – The Lincoln University appointed Dr. Darryl A. Pope, the current Director of Athletics and Physical Activity at the College of Lake College in Grayslake, IL, as its new Director of Athletics.

Dr. Pope will join Lincoln on March 31, 2014.

“We are excited to have Dr. Pope join us,” said President Dr. Robert R. Jennings.  “He has more than 20 years of progressive supervisory and managerial experience along with demonstrated leadership qualities in directing athletic programs and proven compliance experience.”

Dr. Jennings appointed Dr. Pope after a recommendation from the Athletic Director’s Search Committee, which was comprised of faculty, staff, alumni and students.   Dr. F. Carl Walton, Vice President of Student Affairs, to whom Dr. Jennings expressed his gratitude, had served as Interim-Athletic Director after the departure of former Athletic Director Dianthia Ford-Kee.

Dr. Pope has 18 years of administrative experience in Division I Athletics.  He has also served as Associate Athletic Director for Internal Affairs and Associate Athletic Director for Compliance at Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA and as Consultant Sports Information Director at Oglethorpe University, Atlanta, GA.

Additionally, he has served as Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance at California State University-Northridge, Los Angeles, CA and Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.  From 1995 to 1997, he served as Compliance Coordinator at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD and he was an Instructor with the National Youth Sports Program at Temple in the mid-90s.

Dr. Pope has served on several NCAA committees, including the NCAA Peer Review Certification Team — a position he has held since 2000; as well as is a member of the NCAA Leadership Institute Class of 2003.

A graduate of Howard University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications Management and Business Administration, he also holds a Master’s degree in Sports Administration from Grambling State University and a Doctorate of Education degree in Sports Management and Leisure Studies from Temple University.

Dr. Pope holds a certification from the United States Professional Tennis Registry and competed on the USTA Professional Satellite Circuit.

EDITOR’S NOTE: ‘THE LINCOLN UNIVERSITY’ IS NOW THE OFFICIAL NAME FOR THE INSTITUTION FORMERLY REFERRED TO AS ‘LINCOLN UNIVERSITY’ OR ‘LINCOLN UNIVERSITY OF PA’ AND SHOULD BE ADHERED TO IN ALL REFERENCES.

Founded in 1854, The Lincoln University (PA) is the FIRST of four Lincoln Universities in the world and is the nation’s FIRST degree-granting Historically Black College and University (HBCU).  The University combines the elements of a liberal arts and science-based undergraduate curriculum along with select graduate programs to meet the needs of those living in a highly-technological and global society.  Today, Lincoln, which enrolls a diverse student body of approximately 2,000 men and women, possesses an international reputation for preparing and producing world class leaders such as Thurgood Marshall, the FIRST African American U.S. Supreme Court Justice, Lillian Fishburne, the FIRST African American woman promoted to Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy, Langston Hughes, the noted poet, Kwame Nkrumah, the FIRST President of Ghana, Nnamdi Azikiwe, the FIRST President of Nigeria and a myriad of others. 

COURTESY THE LINCOLN UNIVERSITY MEDIA RELATIONS