Rochelle Stevens Steps Down as LOC’s Track Coach

 

Dr. Rochelle Stevens

MEMPHIS, TN – Dr. Rochelle Stevens said a year ago that she was looking forward to “shaping and molding” the student athletes at LeMoyne-Owen College after accepting the job as head coach of both cross country and track and field.

The season was on the mark to begin this fall. And the first meet was set to take place indoors in January. But Stevens, a two-time Olympic gold and silver medalist, resigned “effectively” Nov. 10, citing “unfulfilled promises and obligations mutually agreed upon” with the historically black college.  

Stevens’ letter of resignation was addressed to Amy Smith, director of Human Resources, and LOC’s athletics director, William Anderson, who announced last year that the celebrated Olympian was joining the athletics department.

Dr. Vernell Bennett-Fairs, LOC’s president, also touted Stevens as local and national media rolled out the announcement. “We’re honored to have an Olympian,” Bennett-Fairs had said during the announcement.

Stevens noted in her resignation that one of the most exciting days of her career was accepting the coaching position at LOC, which she’d mulled over before agreeing to take the position. 

The track and field program at LOC had been inactive since 1998. Stevens, however, was hired to revamp the program. “Our goal is to make you look good,” she told Bennett-Fairs during her acceptance speech. 

But the excitement of it all “quickly diminished,” said Stevens, adding: “Due to the continued lack of support from the institution, it is with a heavy heart I find it prudent to part ways.” 

“It is simply impossible for the track & field program to be successful without essential resources or support from the administration,” she said. “Nevertheless, the team and I persevered without adequate track facilities, transportation, uniforms, equipment, or an assistant coach….”

LOC issued a statement following Stevens’ resignation.

“We wish Dr. Stevens well in her future endeavors. We fiercely support our longstanding and successful athletics programs, which have shaped countless Magicians nationwide, with integrity. We will continue to build our startup track program into a premier offering for our student-athletes.”

The coaching position was ideally suited for Stevens, who won a silver medal at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, and a gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta.

In just one year on the job, Stevens pointed out that the athletes in her charge had improved their “best time” on the track by two or more seconds. Now she’s looking forward to a “peaceful retirement.”

Athletes Work Out at Rochelle Stevens Invitational Track Meet

Teams and individuals from seven states participated in the Rochelle
Stevens Invitational Track Meet on May 28. (Courtesy photos)

More than 30,000 athletes have participated in the Rochelle Stevens Invitational Track Meet in Memphis since 1990, and hundreds of them have earned scholarships, Stevens said.

On Saturday, May 28, athletes from two-to-75 years old competed for prizes in track and field at St. George’s Independent School, a private campus at 1880 Wolf River Blvd. in Collierville, Tenn., a suburb outside of Memphis.

Stevens, who earned her Ph.D. in Christian Education, kicked off the track meet after COVID-19 protocols sidelined the annual event, which drew 600 to a thousand spectators to the stands at prior track meets. 

“When 2020 hit…and the track meet was shut down, I didn’t want to be left completely out without being a blessing to the athletes regionally,” said Stevens, an Olympic gold and silver medalist in track and field in 1992 and 1996.

Lowe’s Home Improvement donated 40 laptops that year and Stevens purchased 20 iPads and gifted them to the top performing athletes “who would have participated in my track meet.” 

Athletes who were inactive during the pandemic were gung-ho about participating this year, said Stevens, after calling on them to participate in the 30th Rochelle Stevens Invitational Track Meet. 

The track meet is certified and exposes high school athletes to college recruiters and formal track competitions. It also qualifies them for the Junior Olympics, Senior Olympics, and Olympic trials.

The two-year hiatus only fueled the athletes’ desire to return to competition. Stevens said teams came from seven states to participate: Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Florida, Georgia, Texas, and, of course, Tennessee. 

“We have teams and individuals that come in every year from those states to compete between the ages of two and 75 years old,” said Stevens, including dozens of state finalists, state medalists, and state champions that she’s recruited to LeMoyne-Owen College as head men and women track and field coach.

Her top recruits were in the city competing in the track meet as well, running relays to sharpen their skills and meeting and greeting each other before the fall season commences at LOC: 

Jermaine Dodson, an All American and TSSAA state runner-up last year in the 100 meters and 200 meters, from Melrose High School in Memphis.

There were events for younger kids
as well, including the long jump.

Xavier Haley, a state finalist in three events, from Bartlett High School in Bartlett, Tenn.

Charlize Williams, a finalist in the shot put, from Trezevant High School in Memphis.

Nyla Walker, a district finalist, from Melrose High School in Memphis.

Kimona Haynes, a state champion, from Jim Hill High School in Jackson, Miss.

Lajarius M. Youngblood, a three-time state champion, from Columbia High School in Columbia, Miss.

Jalen Jones, a two-time state champion, from DeSoto Central High School in Southaven, Miss.

And Patrina Rogers, from Kirby High School in Memphis, in addition to six state finalists from Florida.

“All the Tennessee kids qualified to go to the state, except one. That’s not bad,” said Stevens, excited about building the team. “I’m sitting on 15 state finalists.”

For the two-to-5-year-olds who have yet to make their mark in track and field, the 50-meter dash was a starter and commensurate with their age. But athletes six and up were able to participate in all the other events, Stevens said. 

Ribbons and medals went to the top six finishers in each track and field event.

The Rochelle Stevens Invitational Track Meet is considered one of the largest independent track meets in the South, Stevens said.

“We’re not associated with the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union), a multi-sport organization, or the USA Track & Field,” the governing body for track and field. 

“I am an independent organization that brings athletes together from all walks of life,” she pointed out. 

The track meet presents a wellspring of opportunities for young athletes, “like the ones I had when I was at Melrose High School,” Stevens'
alma mater.

“That’s how I basically got my 20 offers… [It] was because of programs like mine,” she said. “The program was ended and that’s why I started the Rochelle Stevens Invitational Track Meet.”

LeMoyne Taps Olympian Rochelle Stevens as its Head Men/Women Track and Field Coach

Olympian Rochelle Stevens (center) was tapped by William Anderson,
LeMoyne-Owen College's athletics director, to coach the school's track
and field program. Dr. Vernell Bennett-Fairs is LOC's president.
(Photo by Wiley Henry)

Dr. Rochelle Stevens – a silver medal winner in track and field at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, and a gold medal winner in the same event at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta – is LeMoyne-Owen College’s new head men and women track and field coach.

William Anderson, LOC’s athletics director, made the announcement at the college on Oct. 28 during a news conference with LOC President Dr. Vernell Bennett-Fairs, who’d tapped Anderson in July to run the athletics department.

Former NBA head coach Lionel Hollins, recently selected as LOC’s assistant men’s basketball coach, joins Head Coach Gawen DeAngelo “Bonzi” Wells, a former NBA standout, to complete the ensemble. 

This is an awesome step “to increase our academic and athletic programs,” Bennett-Fairs said, then paid homage to Stevens: “We’re honored to have an Olympian.”

Charged with restoring LOC to its former glory, Anderson phoned Stevens in August, who mulled over the opportunity and then agreed to take on the coaching duties at the historically Black college. 

“It is an honor and pleasure to introduce our new head men and women track and field coach,” Anderson said. “We’re really excited about the spirit, the passion and the expertise she’s going to bring to start our track and field program again.”

LOC’s track and field program has been inactive since 1998. Though Stevens’ first day on the job is Nov. 8, the season kicks off in the fall of 2022. The first meet will be indoors in January 2023, she said.

 Stevens, an 11-time All-American, an NCAA champion, and a member of 8 halls of fame, was gracious in her acceptance speech and said to Bennett-Fairs: “Our goal is to make you look good.”

Bennett-Fairs hoisted both thumbs, indicating approval, then clapped.

“I’m looking forward to shaping and molding our student athletes,” the new coach said. “I have all the secret ingredients that I would love to share to help expose those athletes and let everybody know who we are.”

Stevens said she’s looking forward to the task. “We are looking forward to putting LeMoyne-Owen College on the map again,” she said.

Leonard Braxton, who coached Stevens in track and field at Morgan State University in Maryland, said Stevens is a role model and that her first time at coaching is a great opportunity for her and the school. 

“She has a lot to give. She brings enthusiasm and determination [to the job],” said Braxton, who lives in Phoenix, Ariz. “She strives for excellence. That’s how she functions.”

Braxton made a special trip to Memphis to support Stevens. Since she must rebuild the track and field program, he would advise her to be patient. “It’s not going to happen overnight,” he said.

Even so, Braxton is certain Stevens will prevail. “She has the world at her feet,” he said.

Stevens’ mother and Olympic coach, Apostle Beatrice H. Davis, is just as excited for her daughter and her opportunity to coach. Like Braxton, she believes Stevens will do a good job. 

“It’s her passion,” said Davis, who pastors Word of Life Healing Ministry. “It’s a great opportunity for her to help them and equip them in life,” she said, referring to the student athletes. “It’s a challenge, but she’s up to the challenge.”

“I have a skill-set to be able to train others. Because of my track meet and foundation. I’ve helped so many athletes with their training, with the nutritional side, the mental preparation of it,” Stevens said.

Over 30,000 athletes, she said frankly. 

To avoid a conflict, the new coach conferred with the NCAA. She got her answer: The Rochelle Stevens Invitational Track Meet has been grandfathered in since it’s been ongoing for 30 years.

“So, it would not be a conflict of interest or in violation of any NCAA rules,” she underscored.

The Rochelle Stevens Foundation, launched in 1990 to inspire and develop the next generation of track stars, will continue as well.

“I want to encourage our young people to dream and to dream big,” said Stevens. “The turning point for me [in accepting the position] was to be able to give – and to give at a higher level.” 

A product of the Orange Mound community, Stevens spring-boarded to success from Melrose High School. Her mettle was first tested on the track and field there before she blazed a path to the Olympics. 

 “I just don’t want to let my athletics director down, and the community down,” Stevens said.

Documentary chronicles LeMoyne’s Coach Jerry Johnson’s legacy and 1975 national championship

If Clint Jackson hadn’t taken that half-court shot in the game against Lambuth College during the conference tournament in 1975, the season would have been over for the Magicians of LeMoyne-Owen College.

"Somebody had to take the shot,” he had said.

It was indeed a magical moment for Coach Jerry C. Johnson, who led his team to seven straight victories after beating Lambuth in overtime on the way to clenching the NCAA Division III National Championship 57-54 against Glassboro State College (now Rowan University). Hosted by Albright College, LOC finished the season 27-5.

It was the first NCAA Division III National Championship for Coach Johnson’s Magicians and the subject of an independent documentary aptly titled “1^st Forgotten Champions: The Legacy of Jerry C. Johnson.”

The documentary was the brainchild of William Anderson, a former player and LOC’s current head men’s basketball coach. He collaborated with filmmaker Morreco Coleman to cobble together the life and legacy of Coach Johnson, who is now 102 years old.

“We knew each other mutually through someone else and became friends,” said Coleman, a Memphian now living outside of Los Angeles. “I was working on a couple of previous projects. He expressed interest in them and asked me if I’d like to do a documentary on Jerry Johnson.”

Coleman said it took him several years to complete the film. “There were some creative differences,” he said. “Then we came to an agreement. [But then] it took a few years to collect all the data.”

“1^st Forgotten Champions: The Legacy of Jerry C. Johnson” debuted at the Burbank International Film Festival in September and won the “Audience Choice Feature Film” category. The 68-minute film also aired in October at the International Black Film Festival in Nashville. The Indy Memphis Film Festival is next in late October.

The film contains interviews with Anderson, former University of Memphis head basketball coaches John Calipari and Josh Pastner, and current U of M head men’s basketball Coach Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway. 

Robert Newman, Clint Jackson and others who played on the 1975 championship team laud Coach Johnson for being tactical and brilliant on and off the court. Tennessee’s Ninth Congressional District Congressman Steve Cohen also offered his perspective.

Coach Johnson is featured prominently throughout the film. “Ninety percent of the film is pretty much illustrated by Coach Jerry Johnson,” Coleman said.

With over 800 wins in 46 years as head coach of the LOC men’s basketball team, Coach Johnson is one of the most successful basketball coaches in Tennessee college sports history. 

Jackson wouldn’t dispute that fact. He couldn’t. “He’s a great man; he’s a great coach; and he’s a great molder of men,” he said. “I have a great deal of respect for him. A lot of what I am is a result of Coach Johnson.”

Jackson played small forward on the team. He was about 6-foot-3 at the time and grew a couple of inches later. What Coach Johnson instilled in him helped to mold his character, he said, and brought perspective and clarity to his life.

“The first thing he said was, ‘Develop your philosophy…the philosophy of your work, as well as your life,” said Jackson, adding that Coach Johnson mentored his athletes and taught them the rudiments of survival on and off the court.

Newman still beams and speaks tenderly when he reflects on the roster of super talent from Memphis and the other athletes from various colleges comprising that 1975 championship team.

“We had a pretty good team. That team was special. He (Coach Johnson) made us believe we could beat anybody,” said Newman, the team captain playing the guard position and winning the MVP in the NCAA tournament. He scored a total of 48 points.

Newman recalls a formidable 7-foot-1 player from Morgan State University whose reputation was far-reaching. His name was Marvin Nathaniel Webster. They called him “The Human Eraser.”

“Through Johnson’s teaching – and with him making us believe that we could do anything – we beat that team,” Newman said. Webster went on to dominate in the NBA. He died in 2009.

Jackson and Newman fared very well after their glory days at LOC. They got their start as Wildcats playing for Hamilton High School under the legendary Coach Lloyd Williams. 

Then the two friends left for Tennessee State University, where they played for Coach Ed Martin. After a stint there, the homegrown ball players landed at LOC and plied their skills under Coach Johnson. 

Newman followed Coach Johnson’s example as an educator and basketball coach for 38 years at Hamilton and Melrose high schools. So did Jackson, who retired after 36 years as an educator and coach in Memphis City Schools. He is now LOC’s athletics director.

Coach Johnson was the first African American to win the NCAA Division III National Championship and LeMoyne-Owen was the first HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) to claim the honor.

The team finally received their rings from the LOC Alumni Association in 2010 to commemorate their achievement during a halftime game between LOC and Rust College at Bruce Hall on the campus.

Coach Jerry C. Johnson retired in 2005 and racked up many successes during his 46 years as LeMoyne-Owen College’s head men’s basketball coach. “1^st Forgotten Champions: The Legacy of Jerry C. Johnson” is a testament to his success.