Anthony T. Owens
Director of Athletics
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Anthony Owens is a native of Nashville, Tn. He graduated from Maplewood High School where he excelled in academics and athletics. He went to Tennessee State University where he received both his undergraduate and Masters degrees. He was an All-American football player while attending college.
After college he went on to play professional football for two years with the Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals. He has been a football coach on the collegiate level for 13 years with four of those years in a coordinator’s role.
He has held various positions within the administration of several universities. He was an admissions recruiter at Tennessee State University. He was the assistant director of Student Support Services at Texas Southern University. He was also the Director of New Livingstone Hall at Fisk University and the liaison for Student Life for the male population of the university. He also has been involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes for over 14 years and has experience with at risk youth.
Mr. Owens is married to the former Perri duGard of Nashville.Â
Aerial Ellis
Sports Information Director
Robert Moore
Head Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach
Robert Moore is a native of Nashville, Tennessee. Moore earned a Bachelors of Arts in Education from Fisk in 1972. While at Fisk he participated in Basketball, Tennis, Golf and Baseball. He received All-American honor in Basketball and Golf. Moore previously held the title of Head Men’s Basketball Coach for three years and the Head Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach for seven years. He is coming back to Tennis after the school decided to bring back Tennis after a one year hiatus.
Moore is single and is the proud parent of daughter Yatia.
John McGraw
Head Women’s Basketball Coach
John McGraw is a native of Fall River, MA. He graduated from Union-Endicott High School, in Endicott, NY. McGraw went to the University of Massachusetts and received a degree in Sports Management in 1996. In 2011 he earned his Master's in Sports Management from Marshall University.
Upon graduating from UMass, McGraw went on to work for the St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, and the BC Icemen. McGraw left athletics and enjoyed a profitable career as a pharmaceutical drug rep, but long to get back into coaching. In 2003 he bacame Head Coach of John Jay College in New York. His other head coaching stops include the Patterson School, Notre Dame Prep, and Columbia State. He was an assistant at Marshall University from 2007-2010.
McGraw has one son, Cameron, and they reside in Nashville.
Tony Thompson
Assistant Women's Basketball Coach
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Deajada "Jay" Smith
Interim Head Men's Basketball Coach
Deajada Smith is a native of Detroit, Michigan. He is a graduate of Detroit's Northwestern High School where he played football and basketball. Smith played collegiate basketball at Georgia State University and in 1992 transferred to the United States Military Academy, earning a Military of Science Degree.
Smith has 16 years of coaching basketball experience under his belt and he is responsible for game scheduling, player development, recruiting and on court coaching. Prior to his arrival at Fisk, Smith served as the Associate Head Coach at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, Wayne County Community College, and Schoolcraft College.
Smith is affilliated with the NABC (National Association Basketball Coaches), the BCA (Black Coaches Association) and the R. Wade Police Masonic #270.
Calvin Diggs
Head Softball Coach
Calvin Diggs is a native of Chicago, Illinois. He is the son of Rochelle Jordan. Diggs earned his Bachelors degree from Jackson State University, where in majored in Mass Communications in 1998, where in 2001 he also obtained his Masters in the the field of Sports Administration.
Diggs is a graduate of Chicago Westinghouse High School in Chicago, Illinois. He is in charge of the administration, scheduling, and university support for the program. Before his arrival at Fisk University in 2006, Diggs worked at Grambling State University (Grambling, Louisiana) and Wilbur Wright College (Chicago, Illinois).
Diggs is affiliated with the Baptist Church and is a member of the American Softball Coaches Association, The Black Coaches Association, and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
Sarah Grams
Head Volleyball Coach
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Avion Black
Head Men's and Women's Track/Field & Cross Country Coach
Avion Black is a native of Nashville, Tennessee. He is the son of Avion C. Black and Dorothy Johns. Black earned his Bachelors degree from Tennessee State University in 1999. Black was an All-American football player at TSU as well as a two-time all conference (OVC) selection. Black was selected in the 4th round in the 2000 National Football League draft by the Buffalo Bills. He also played for the Houston Texans, New York Giants, and Minnesota Vikings. In 2012 he was inducted into the Metro Nashville Sports Hall of Fame.
Black is a graduate of Maplewood High School in Nashville. He enjoys restoring old cars, golfing, and woodworking.
Black is married to the former Shakeyah Thompson and they are the proud parents of Avion Jr., and Kennedi.