Lifelong Tiger sheds interim role following selection and Board approval
HOUSTON (February 23, 2019) – Kevin Granger, who has spent the better part of 27 years with Texas Southern University as a student athlete, coach, administrator and, most recently, as interim vice president of intercollegiate athletics, was named permanently to that position following unanimous approval from TSU’s Board of Regents on Friday.
Since being named to the interim role last August, Granger has been busy building on the successes of his predecessor, Dr. Charles McClelland, who left TSU to become commissioner of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. In August he launched the TSU Athletic Director’s Legends Club to enhance the level of commitment to TSU athletics among former TSU players, alumni and community supporters.
Also in the fall, the Athletic Department secured high-profile financial contributions from Kenny Smith and TSU alumnus (and current Washington Redskins executive) Tony Wylie. The department was awarded a $98,111 grant from Save the Children Fund to provide extensive community service activities in and around the Third Ward.
Other community service efforts Granger initiated include hosting several church and school night out events at home football games, and providing student scholarships through the Legends Club.
Granger also played a critical role in the hiring of new football coach Clarence McKinney, and he worked with the TSU Student Government Association to help pass a resolution to enhance the on-campus Durley Stadium.
“Kevin has lived up to his status as a TSU legend,” said TSU President Dr. Austin A. Lane. “He has a high level of passion – not only for athletics, but for the university as a whole. Most important, he is committed to serving our student athletes in new and exciting ways. He has earned this appointment through hard work and dedication to the university.”
As vice president of intercollegiate athletics, Granger oversees a total of 16 sports - nine women’s and seven men’s – and a staff of 65.
“My primary goal is to give our student athletes the best chance to succeed, not only on the field but in the classroom and out in the community,” said Granger. “TSU is a special place, with lots of history, tradition and passion among our fan base. I want to increase our engagement with alumni and grow our levels of support to even greater heights.”
Granger joined Texas Southern University as athletics operations manager in 2008, and he also served as an assistant basketball coach for the Tigers before becoming the assistant athletic director. His primary responsibilities in that role included processing athletic contracts, team travel, ticketing and managing TSU athletic facilities.
Before coming to Texas Southern, Granger was the head boy’s basketball coach at Worthing High School from 2001 to 2007. In his last year, he led his team to the 19-4A regional boy’s basketball finals. He was also named 2007 19-4A Coach of the Year.
Granger was a standout student-athlete at Texas Southern from 1992-96. During his career as a Tiger, he was SWAC Freshman of the Year (1992), Two-time Black College All-American, MVP of the SWAC Championship Tournament (1994) and a member of two SWAC Tournament Championship Teams (1994 and 1995).
In 1996, Granger was the NCAA Division I leading scorer. He received the President’s Award (1996) as the top student-athlete at TSU and he still ranks among the all-time greats in Texas Southern basketball history is several categories. Granger’s number 10 was retired by Texas Southern in 2002.
Granger holds a bachelor’s degree in Business from Texas Southern (2000) as well as a master's degree in Health Education (2014) and he is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in Curriculum and Instruction, with expected completion later this year.He is married to Tracey and they have two boys (Kevin, Jr. and Kolby) and one girl (Kennah).
ABOUT TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY
Texas Southern University (TSU) honors our designation as a special-purpose institution for urban programming and research. TSU is a comprehensive university providing higher education access to the nation’s underserved communities. TSU’s academic and research programs address critical urban issues, and prepares its diverse student population to become a force for positive change in a global society. TSU offers more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs and concentrations – bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral and professional degrees – organized into 10 colleges and schools on a 150-acre campus nestled in the heart of Houston’s historic Third Ward. The University’s enrollment has a population of more than 9,700 undergraduate and graduate-school academic candidates. Texas Southern has been a distinguished educational pioneer since 1927, and the University has become one of the most diverse and respected institutions in Texas. TSU has positioned itself as a proactive leader in educating underserved students and many who are the first in their family to attend college.
PHOTO: TSU President, Dr. Austin A. Lane (left) congratulating Kevin Granger (right) following the TSU Board of Regents' approval of Granger's appointment as vice president of intercollegiate athletics.
Posted By: Reginald Culpepper
Wednesday, February 27th 2019 at 9:13PM
You can also
click
here to view all posts by this author...
