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Abby Walls was named assistant softball coach in July 2024 and enters her first season at Kentucky State.
Before joining Kentucky State, Walls served as an assistant softball coach at Cleveland State Community College. During her time there, she guided student-athletes to sign with institutions such as the University of West Georgia, Tennessee Wesleyan, and Wofford College. As an assistant coach the Cougars finished 33-18 overall record and a 20-16 mark in Region Seven play in the 2024 season.
Walls is no stranger to Kentucky, having spent three years at Union College. As a standout pitcher, she earned multiple Appalachian Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week honors, ranked nationally in opposing batting average, and set a Union record by pitching 10 innings in a single game.
She earned her bachelor's degree from Union College and is a native of Dayton, Tennessee.
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Assistant Coach and Named Head Coach
- Head Women 's Basketball Coach
Amani Williams was promoted from assistant coach and named head coach in October of 2023.
In her first year as a head coach Amani Williams was named SIAC Coach of the Year, where she finished the regular season 19-6 (.760) and 15-4 (.789) and earned the 2023-24 SIAC Regular Season West Division Title. She kept her team ranked on the Division II College Sports Communicators South peaking at fourth in South Region Media Poll.
The SIAC named Williams as Coach of the Year for her accomplishments during the 2023-24 regular season. In the same year Gracen Kerr was named 2023-24 SIAC Player of the Year as she was named SIAC Player of the Week four times. Taleah Dilworth was named to the SIAC Second Team.
Williams played two season (2018-2020) at Kentucky State where she finished 8th in career assists (160) and the 2019 SIAC Women's Basketball Championship Runner-Up.
Williams is a graduated from Kentucky State University in 2020 where she was a scholar in Physical Education Department where she submitted two research projects to the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Athletics Director for External Operations
Christian Flowers joined Kentucky State University as the Sports Information Director before being promoted to Assistant Athletic Director for External Operations in the summer of 2024.
In his current role, Flowers oversees media relations, ticketing operations, and contributes to game-day operations for the Thorobreds' 12 intercollegiate sports programs. His responsibilities include managing media production, maintaining team statistics, updating the official athletics website (KSUThorobreds.com), and coordinating interviews and press conferences with media outlets.
Flowers has been instrumental in enhancing the digital presence of Kentucky State Athletics. In his third year, he led efforts to achieve a 68% increase in Facebook reach and a 48% boost in interactions. On Instagram, the department's reach skyrocketed by 259%, with content interactions doubling. These achievements were supported by a team of interns who collectively created over 800 posts across platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook. He also played a pivotal role in promoting NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) awareness among student-athletes.
In his second year, Flowers launched the Kentucky State Sports Network, enabling live streaming of home events for football, volleyball, basketball, baseball, softball, and indoor track and field. With the help of student interns, the department's social media channels achieved over 2.3 million impressions.
Flowers has been instrumental in creating a robust internship program at Kentucky State University, partnering with the Departments of Physical Education, Communications, and Business to provide students with practical, hands-on experience in sports information and media operations. This initiative allows interns to apply classroom learning in real-world scenarios, preparing them for successful careers in athletics and related fields.
Beyond the university, Flowers expanded the program to include local high school students from Frankfort High School, offering them the opportunity to intern within the KSU Sports Information Department. This innovative program not only equips young students with valuable skills but also strengthens the relationship between Kentucky State University and its surrounding community, demonstrating a commitment to fostering local talent and building meaningful connections.
Before joining Kentucky State, Flowers served at Prairie View A&M University, where he contributed to the Panther Sports Network by producing broadcasts, designing graphics, capturing events through photography and videography, and enhancing PVAMU Athletics' digital footprint.
His professional experience extends to the NFL, where he worked with the Houston Texans during the 2020 season, assisting with media operations, press conferences, and game-day logistics. Additionally, Flowers interned with NWSL's Sky Blue FC (now NJ/NY Gotham FC) in the summer of 2020, contributing to marketing campaigns and graphic design projects, including the launch of new team uniforms.
A native of San Antonio, Texas, Christian Flowers holds a bachelor's degree in Communications with a minor in Business Administration from Prairie View A&M University where he was also a men's golf student-athlete.
Craig Foley enters is his second season as the Defensive Backs Coach for the Kentucky State football joining the program in the Spring of 2022.
Prior to joining Kentucky State he served as the Head Coach of the Frankfort High School Panthers from 2003-2021. In his 19 years of leading the Panthers he became the winningest coach in school history with 146 wins, transitioned over 40 student-athletes to the collegiate level, along with earning 11 District Titles and two Regional Championships
While at Frankfort High he was named District Coach of the Year 7 times and named 2012 KHSAA Class A Coach of the Year. His coaching accolades continue as he served as the Assistant Coach for Kentucky East/West All-Star Game in 2017 and 2018 along with Assistant Coach of the Best of the Bluegrass All-Star Game in 2014 and 2015 while serving as Head Coach of the Best of The Bluegrass All-Star game in 2016.
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Athletic Trainer
David Morton will be in his fourth year as the Kentucky State University head softball coach in the 2020-21 season.. Morton has been a part of the Kentucky State University athletics family since 2009 in a variety of roles.
As the interim head coach, the Thorobreds advanced to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship game in 2018. Under his tutelage, Jittaun Thompson earned first team all-SIAC. During his time with Kentucky State, the softball program has advanced to the championship game four times. He served as the assistant softball coach from 2009 until 2017.
Morton has been the school's assistant equipment manager from 2009 to 2016 before moving to the compliance office as the athletics compliance coordinator from 2016 to 2018.
Job Titles:
- Head Men 's Basketball Coach
- Member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches
The 2024-25 Season was Dr. Jamaal Jackson's ninth year at the helm of the Thorobred Men's Basketball Program.
During the 2023-24 season, Dr. Jackson became the third winningest coach in program history, and the winningest coach in the NCAA era at Kentucky State University. Since Jackson has been the Head Coach at Kentucky State, five Thorobreds have been named to the All-SIAC squad, three voted as BoxToRow.com Division II All-Americans, and one voted as a CCA All-South Region Team Member. During his coaching tenure, fifteen Kentucky State University student-athletes have signed professional contracts.
Jackson came to Frankfort from Bluefield State College, where he served as Head Men's Basketball Coach for five seasons. He was hired on the eve of the 2011-2012 season as the Interim Head Coach before being named Head Coach at the conclusion of the season. While at Bluefield State, Jackson coached one member of the WVIAC All-Conference team, three members of the ICAA All-Conference team, one All-ECAC Team Member, and two BoxToRow.com Division II All-American Team Members. Following his year as Interim Head Coach, Jackson increased upon the previous season's win total during each season as Bluefield State College's Head Coach. Bluefield State finished the 2014-15 season with their highest win total since 1995-96. Jackson's team also ranked first nationally in fewest turnovers during the 2014-15 season.
Before arriving in Bluefield, Jackson served for three seasons as an assistant coach at Stillman College. During Jackson's first year with the program, the Tigers experienced a six-game win improvement over the previous season. During his second, Stillman experienced a seven-game win improvement over the previous season, as well as the school's first ever ranking in the NCAA Division II Top 25. During his third season, Stillman finished with a 24-8 record, which was a 10 win improvement over the previous season. The Tigers advanced to the 2011 NCAA South Regional Championship. While at Stillman, he recruited and coached two All-SIAC Team Members, and one Daktronics and boxtorow.com Division II All-American Team member.
Prior to his stint at Stillman, Jackson was an assistant at Kentucky State University from 2004-2008. While at Kentucky State, Jackson coached the 2008 SIAC Player of the Year. He served as a Student Assistant Coach during the 2000-2001 season, helping the Thorobreds win the 2001 SIAC Tournament Championship and earn a berth in the NCAA National Tournament.
During the 1998-1999 season, Jackson was an intern on the staff of The Ohio State University's Men's Basketball Program, as they advanced to the NCAA Final Four.
After graduating from Kentucky State University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Physical Education, Jackson went on to earn a Master of Arts Degree in Teaching Physical Education from the University of West Alabama and a Master of Public Administration Degree from Kentucky State University. He earned a Doctorate Degree at Morehead State University, focusing on Adult and Higher Education Leadership.
Jackson is a member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, where he sits on the Division II Congress. He is a Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Jackson has served as Chair of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's Men's Basketball Coaches Committee as a member of the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball South Regional Advisory Committee. He also serves as a member of the Athletes in Action HBCU Leadership Committee.
Coach Jackson is an active member of the community as well. In December of 2020, Jamaal was appointed by Commonwealth of Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear to the Martin Luther King, Jr. State Commission, and in 2022 he was appointed by Frankfort Mayor Layne Wilkerson to the Frankfort Board of Parks Commissioners. Jackson serves as a Board Member of Swim with Purpose, the Blue Grass Community Foundation Scholarship Committee, and the Project Ricochet Health Advisory Board. Kentucky State's Men's Basketball Program was a finalist for the 2022 NCAA Division II Award of Excellence, which recognizes community engagement and leadership.
In 2021, Dr. Jackson was a recipient of the Image Award from the Kentucky State University National Alumni Association, recognizing his professional distinction and loyalty to Kentucky State University. In 2023, Jackson was recognized by the National Association of Basketball Coaches with the Guardians of the Game Pillar Award for Education, honoring the positive role that he plays in the lives of student-athletes and the contributions that he makes to the community and society at large. In 2019 Dr. Jackson was selected to serve as a coach at the inaugural NCAA College Basketball Academy. Jackson coached the East Team in the 2022 Reece's NABC All-Star Game, and led the HBCU Team to victory in the 2024 Classic for Columbus HBCU vs Ohio All-Star Classic.
Jamaal and his wife Mary, reside in Frankfort, and have one son and one daughter, Jairus and Laila.
Job Titles:
- Defensive Coordinator
- Member of the American Football Coaches Association
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Head
- Head Football Coach
Head Coach Felton Huggins Jr. enters is second season at the helm of the Kentucky State football, being named head coach on Feb. 16, 2023.
In his first season at KSU, the Thorobreds achieved 1,539 receiving yards, their highest total since 2014. He ended the 2023 season with a 3-7 overall record.
Huggins comes to Kentucky State University after spending the past year as the Assistant Coach of Wide Receivers at NCAA DI school McNeese State.
Prior to McNeese State, he served as the offensive coordinator and inside wide receivers coach at Charleston Southern in 2019. He arrived at Charleston Southern after six years at LaGrange College in Georgia, where he was the associate head coach, offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach, and academic coordinator.
In his first season calling plays for Charleston Southern, he put numerous student-athletes in the top 100 in FCS in multiple offensive categories, including pass efficiency, passing touchdowns, passing yards, points, receiving touchdowns, scoring, and yards per attempt. Kameron Brown set the Charleston Southern single-season receiving touchdown record (10), while the Bucs posted the second-most first downs per game in Charleston Southern history (20.1).
Head Coach Felton Huggins Jr. officially named Earl Chambers as Defensive Cordinator in August 2023, Chambers brings a wealth of experience with over 23 years of coaching experience to Kentucky State
He comes to Kentucky State from LaGrange College where he spent nine years and has served has the Head Football Coach since 2018. As head coach he improved the team GPA from 2.3 to a 3.0 and implemented programs to mentor student-athletes in life skills and academics.
Prior to LaGrange he served as the running backs coach Division I FCS member James Madison.
Chambers is a Georgia native, playing four sports at Banneker High School in College Park, while earning Honorable Mention All-State in football by both the Associated Press and by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution as a senior quarterback. From there, he went on to play at the University of Georgia.
At Georgia, Chambers was a strong safety on defense. As a senior, he had 41 tackles and four pass breakups as the Bulldogs won the Outback Bowl. During the four years Chambers played, the Bulldogs went 33-11 and 3-1 in bowl game.
In addition to his playing duties, Chambers served on the SEC Council, UGA Athletic Board and the Faculty Committee during the 1996-97 school year. He also served two years on Georgia's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee during his undergraduate years. Chambers graduated from UGA with a degree in psychology in 1999.
He would stay five more years with the Bulldogs, working as a graduate assistant. Chambers spent his first year on the Bulldog staff as a recruiting assistant, helping to evaluate position recruits as well as coordinating official visits. His final four seasons, Chambers served as an assistant with the UGA defensive staff and as video coordinator. His defensive duties involved Chambers with the defensive line and allowed him to coach the team's offensive and special teams scout players. He also worked as an academic mentor, assisting the Bulldogs as they worked towards their college degrees.
Georgia was 50-14 during Chambers' five seasons on the coaching staff and made bowl appearances all five years. The Bulldogs won the Southeastern Conference in 2002 and were the Sugar Bowl Champions that year while winning the SEC East title in 2003. UGA won the O'ahu Bowl his first season, the Capital One Bowl in 2003 and the Outback Bowl in his final year while appearing in the Music City Bowl in 2001. He coached three NFL first round draft picks in his five seasons with the school, including Jonathan Sullivan, Charles Grant and David Pollack.
After Georgia, he worked eight seasons as the defensive line coach for NCAA Division II Valdosta State, helping lead the squad to a 12-2 record and the 2012 NCAA Division II National Championship, the second in his tenure with the Blazers. After previously serving as the Blazers' Recruiting Coordinator and Director of Football Operations, Chambers' ability in coaching on defense was rewarded prior to the 2012 season as he was named Co-Defensive Coordinator. The Blazers posted a 71-22 record with five playoff appearances, including the two national championships while Chambers was on the staff.
During his time with the Blazers, Chambers coached 10 All-Gulf South selections as well as three All-American honorees. In 2006, the Blazer defense set a school record for fewest points and total yards allowed. In 2007, Chambers' defensive line unit played a key role in the Blazers winning the Division II National Championship. The defensive line accounted for 23.5 of VSU's 38 sacks on the year while totaling 53 tackles for loss. The group featured eight freshmen and two sophomores out of the 16 who played on the defensive line during the season.
A member of the American Football Coaches Association, Chambers is married to the former Tonya Bell of Cuba, Ala. and is the father of four children, Eariona, Jordan, Evelyn, and Emily.
Grant Stepp, who has over 14 years of experience in athletics administration at Western Kentucky and Eastern Kentucky, was named Kentucky State University Director of Athletics on April 22, 2024.
Stepp comes to Kentucky State after spending nine years at Eastern Kentucky where he served as the Associates Athletic Director where he assisted with external revenue generation increasing from the 2019 fiscal year to 2024 in total fundraising (112%), number of gifts (97%), and number of donors (84%). Stepp is responsible for securing over $6 million in private support to help all of athletics while overseeing the Colonel Club, major gifts and premium seating. Stepp also had oversight of men's and women's cross country and track and field where multiple OVC conference titles were earned and finished 16th in the 2018 NCAA Division I National Cross Country Championship.
Prior to Eastern Kentucky he served in numerous roles at Western Kentucky where he served as the ticket operations manager from 2011 to 2015 where he was in charge of the day-to-day financial accounting, annual budget and internal audits of the Hilltopper ticket operation. Before leading tickets he served as coordinator of event/game day operations from 2009-11.
The native of Versailles, Kentucky graduated from WKU with a bachelor's in finance in 2006. He earned his master's degree in sports administration from EKU in 2010.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of Athletics / Senior Woman Administrator ( SWA ) / Senior Compliance Administrator
- Compliance
Job Titles:
- Coach Division I FCS Member
Job Titles:
- Offensive Coordinator / Offensive Line Coach
Cody is originally from Thomson, GA, where he was a three-sport letterman at Thomson High School. A three-year starter for the football team, he was a two time all region selection and won 1 region championship. Upon graduation, he went on to sign with Berry College located in Rome, GA.
At Berry, Cody was a three-year starter for the football team. Over his four years the Vikings went 37-7, winning 3 straight conference championships (2016-2018) and making it two the 2 nd round of the NCAA Division III National Championship Playoffs twice. A 3-time SAA All-Academic Team selection, he graduated with his Bachelor's degree in exercise science with a minor in psychology.
Cody has also earned a Master's degree in teaching from LaGrange College and Educational Specialist degree from Augusta University.
Cody is married to the former Alexis Fulton of Thomson, GA and they have one dog together, Gunner.
Job Titles:
- Head
- Head Men's and Women 's Volleyball Coach
Keith Jones was announced as the head men's and women's volleyball coach in July of 2024.
Before joining Kentucky State, he amassed over three years of experience in diverse coaching roles throughout Central Kentucky, primarily with Alpha Performance Volleyball. During this tenure, he successfully guided student-athletes to collegiate programs, including prestigious NCAA Division I institutions such as the University of Kentucky and Delaware State. His efforts also extended to facilitating placements at Georgetown College (Ky.), Berea College, and Morton College, among others.
Jones spent nearly seven years leading club and recreation programs in the Chapel Hill, North Carolina area where he served in head coaching and administrative roles with the Chapel Hill Area Volleyball Club and led the club men's and women's team at the University of North Carolina.
He earned a Master's in Education from Texas Tech in 2014, following his Bachelor of Arts in Sports Management from Washington State University.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Baseball Coach ( Volunteer )
Job Titles:
- Assistant Track and Field Coach
Job Titles:
- Assistant Women 's Basketball Coach
Logan Powell enters her second season with Kentucky State women's basketball. Powell joined the staff in August 2024.
In her first year with the Thorobreds finished as the 2024 SIAC West Division Regular Season Champions with a 15-4 (.789) conference record and 19-6 (.760).
Powell played three seasons (2014-2017) where she started in 41 games, scored over 600 points, over 70 steals and over 370 rebounds.
She graduated from Kentucky State with a bachelors in Physical Education in 2017 and will be graduating with her MBA in Sports Management from Midway University in 2025.
Powell is a native of Lebanon, Kentucky.
Job Titles:
- Defensive Backs / Special Teams Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Assistant Men 's Basketball Coach
Job Titles:
- Head Track and Field Coach
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Head
- Head Baseball Coach
- Instructor for the University of Kentucky Baseball Camp
Head Coach Rob Henry is beginning his eleventh year at the helm of the Kentucky State baseball program.
Coach Henry and the KSU baseball program has shown steady improvement in recent years. Coach Henry earned his 100th coaching win in the 2019 season opener against Voorhees College and also became the all-time wins leader in KSU baseball history by virtue of a 20-10 victory over Alice Lloyd College on February 28, 2019. Black College Nines named Coach Henry as its 2019 HBCU Small College Coach of the Year.
A Lexington, KY native, Henry has served as an instructor for the University of Kentucky Baseball Camp each year since 1999. He has also served as an instructor for camps at Mississippi State University (2009, 2015), Derby City Summer Collegiate League team Head Coach (2002, 2003 and 2005) and has presented at several other camps and clinics.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Men 's Basketball Coach
Job Titles:
- Assistant Women 's Basketball Coach