Clark Atlanta University welcomes Jerel Drew, Ed.D., to serve as the institution’s Athletic Director. Before coming to Clark Atlanta, Drew served as the Athletic Director of the University of the Virgin Islands. Drew brings more than a decade of experience to his new role.
Additionally, he has over a decade of experience in intercollegiate athletic administration at the NCAA Division II, III &NAIA levels, serving as the Associate Athletic Director for Compliance at Division II HBCU Elizabeth City State University (ECSU).
Within his first year at the helm of UVI Athletics, Drew led rebranding efforts that featured the unveiling of a brand-new athletics logo, new facility upgrades, athletic marketing campaigns, The UVI Buccaneer Investor Program, and a sponsorship and apparel deal with Adidas, - a first of its kind partnership for UVI. In 2022, Drew successfully aligned UVI with the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference (GCAC), the only HBCU conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
Drew is also the architect behind the UVI’s HBCU Basketball Classic. The HBCU annual tournament, which tip-offed in November 2021 and November 2022, featured 12 programs, including four HBCUs (Arkansas Baptist, Huston-Tillotson, Wilberforce, Southern of New Orleans, Philander Smith, and UVI) and 12 contests (six women's and six men's) over the course of three days.
Drew also has extensive experience in fundraising. He was instrumental in developing the Viking Investor Program, an annual giving campaign in coordination with the Elizabeth City State University Foundation, with a goal of $200,000. In 2019, he secured ECSU Athletics' first medical sponsorship with Vidant Family & Sports Medicine. The $60,000 annual support significantly helped to elevate ECSU's athletic training capabilities and resources.
Under Drew's guidance, the university saw dramatic improvements in compliance and student-athlete academic performance. Under his leadership, 78 ECSU student-athletes earned above 3.0 term cumulative GPA in 2020, a 26 percent increase from 2018-2019. Forty-nine student-athletes achieved Viking Scholar Student-Athlete status, a 36 percent increase compared to the 2018-2019 season. Of the 78 student-athletes awarded academic honors, 20 majors were represented, six student-athletes in the honors programs, and three were designated Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholars.
Drew holds a Doctor of Education degree in sports management from Northcentral University. He also earned a Master of Education degree in athletic coaching from Northcentral University in 2013. He is a 2021 graduate of Brevard College with a Bachelor's in History and a minor in secondary education. Drew is a Coach & Ad Magazine 40 under 40 honoree and is a native of Thomasville, Georgia.
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