Hampton Athletics Hall of Fame
If William R. Harvey was the architect behind Hampton University’s rise to preeminence in college athletics, then Dennis E. Thomas must surely have been the prime contractor. In 12 years as Hampton’s Director of Athletics, Thomas led the school’s athletics program from a highly competitive NCAA Division II program, as a member of the CIAA, to one of the nation’s top NCAA Division I mid-major powers, as a member of the MEAC.
Known as an “energetic administrator,” Thomas’ enthusiastic reign as Hampton’s athletics director saw the school’s athletics program flourish, both on and off the field of competition. The Pirates and Lady Pirates were perennial titlists, capturing MEAC championships in the sports of football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, softball, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, men’s cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field and women’s cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field.
Under his guidance, HU won the MEAC’s Talmadge L. Hill Men’s All-Sports Award in 1999 and the Mary McLeod Bethune Women’s All-Sports Award in 2002. Both inside and outside the conference circle, Thomas’ influence was widely acclaimed. Under Thomas, Hampton was awarded the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame Achievement Award for two consecutive years, 2001 and 2002, an award which is given to the Division I athletics program with the highest winning percentage in the state of Virginia.
While serving as HU’s athletics director, he was awarded the NACDA Athletics Director-of-the-Year for the Southeast Region for IAA/AAA in 2002. In 2003, he was inducted into the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Hall of Fame, where he competed as a football star at Alcorn State. He has served as the chairman of the NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee, as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Issues Committee and on the Board of Directors of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
Thomas was likewise committed to the overall well-being of the student-athletes in the school’s athletics program. This commitment was demonstrated by his development of the school’s Athletic Academic Support Department, an initiative launched to increase the graduation rate of student-athletes at the University.
