FAMU hires former Louisiana Tech star to coach track team

Special to the Outlook

FAMU has settled on a veteran coach with extensive knowledge of the HBCU circuit to be its next women’s track and field/cross country coach.
FAMU last week announced the hiring of Nadia Alexander-Pompey to replace Darlene Moore, who abruptly resigned in early summer.

“We are extremely excited to have Nadia join our athletic program,” said John Eason, director of athletics. “She has a tremendous history of working in HBCU’s and has an excellent track record of seeing her student-athletes perform well on the track and in the classroom.”

Alexander-Pompey spent one year at Mississippi Valley State University as the head coach of the cross country/track and field programs. She served as the head coach for six programs at MVSU – men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s indoor track and field and men’s and women’s outdoor track and field and oversees the sprint and throwing events.

Nadia Alexander-Pompey has an extensive background as a coach on the HBCU cuircuit.
Photo courtesy FAMU athletics

Prior to MVSU, Alexander-Pompey served as the head coach of the cross-country/track and field programs at Shaw University, a Division II program, in Raleigh, N.C. for two years. During the 2017-18 season at Shaw, the individual winner of the men’s cross country conference championships was her freshman runner while the women’s cross country team finished with an all-conference performer. In the spring, the women’s outdoor team elevated to a new level breaking nine school records with four student-athletes provisionally qualifying for the Division II NCAA Championships.

The women’s outdoor team placed fourth overall improving from a seventh-place showing a season ago at the conference outdoor championships. Eight Bears medaled and three were crowned individual event winners. The last time the Bears women’s outdoor team finished in the top-four of the conference outdoor championships were back in 2008. The accolades continued for the Bears program. Five student-athletes were named to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) all-region team with four qualifying for the Division II NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships; two of which competed in the championships and one was named a second-team all-American. Additionally, the USTFCCCA recognized the 2018 Shaw Bears women’s outdoor team for their work in the classroom with an All-Academic Team award while three Bears were named to the All-Academic Team.

In Alexander-Pompey’s first year at Shaw, the women’s outdoor track and field team had a breakthrough season. The Bears had a women’s Division II NCAA Outdoor Championship participant, which was last achieved in 2002. Her student-athlete earned second-team All-American honors as well as Academic All-American accolades. In addition, two student-athletes were named to the USTFCCCA All-Region Team.

Before arriving at Shaw, Alexander-Pompey spent three years at The Lincoln University (Pa.) as an assistant coach for the cross country/track and field programs overseeing the Lions’ field events. During her tenure at Lincoln, she coached four Division II NCAA National qualifiers (shot-put, discus, & long jump), five conference champions (shot-put & discus) and one Field MVP honoree of the conference outdoor championships. In addition, Alexander-Pompey has coached one third-place finisher (women’s indoor high jump), and 17 All-CIAA top eight performances honorees. Academically, she had the privilege of coaching two Academic All-Americans and the 2015 women’s track & field team that earned All-Academic Team Honors by having a team GPA of over a 3.0.

Previously, Alexander-Pompey served on the Virginia State University coaching staff from 2011-2013. During her tenure at VSU, she coached 29 All-CIAA performances including two CIAA Champions and 12 top-three performers.

Prior to her coaching career, Alexander-Pompey was a member of the Louisiana Tech’s track team track and field team where she was a three-time Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Champion for Louisiana Tech University. She currently holds both the indoor (16.34m – 53, feet 6) and outdoor (16.68m-54 feet, 8 inches) women’s shot put records. In her collegiate competitions, she placed 10th in the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 2009.

Internationally, she was a finalist in the shot put at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in India while representing her home country of Jamaica. She was also sixth in the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in 2010 (Puerto Rico) and ninth in the 2007 Pan American Games in Brazil.