Tennessee State Names Interim AD as Dr. Mikki Allen Placed on Admin Leave

The Tennessee State Tigers athletic program is in a precarious state this summer, as athletic director Dr. Mikki Allen has been placed on administrative leave.

The university took action after there’s been a lot of smoke around Allen in recent months, as multiple head coaches voiced concern about the direction of the athletic department under his leadership a couple of months ago.

“As head coaches entrusted with the development, safety, and success of our student-athletes, we believe it is our responsibility to express serious concerns regarding the current direction, leadership, communication and operational management of the Athletics Department,” they wrote in a letter to President Dwayne Tucker and the school’s Board of Trustees.

In the latter stages of July, Tennessee State president Dwayne Tucker made the decision to keep Allen away from the program for the time being.

“I took these concerns very seriously and immediately launched an internal investigation. Effective today, TSU athletic director Dr. Mikki Allen has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation,” Tucker said in a statement.

Mikki Allen, the AD at Tennessee State, is on administrative leave pending investigation. This comes two months after coaches wrote a “no confidence” letter against Allen. It’s the latest in a series of high-profile upheavals at the Nashville HBCU.https://t.co/PSUDxTHJHx

— Rachel Wegner (@rachelannwegner) July 23, 2026

Football coach Reggie Barlow, men’s basketball coach Nolan Smith, women’s basketball coach Candice Dupree, softball coach Genee McRath, women’s track and field coach Chandra Cheeseborough and volleyball coach Donika Sutton were the six coaches who signed the letter to express their discontent with the job Allen was doing. Cheeseborough’s involvement in the letter is perhaps the most notable, as she has been with Tennessee State athletics for over 30 years.

Smith just got to Tennessee State, and the Tigers made the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1994, but the recent success did not seem to quell the discomfort Smith had with the way the program was being run.

The university has announced that Jennifer Bell will serve as the interim athletic director during the investigation, effective immediately. She will oversee all aspects of the school’s intercollegiate athletics program, which includes operations, budgets, personnel, coaching hires, NCAA and conference compliance, and other duties.

Jennifer Bell will be tasked with guiding TSU through what has become a sticky situation with Mikki Allen on leave after several coaches voiced their displeasure with the way the department has been run. https://t.co/5GCwa5UPZH

— Steve Layman (@SteveLayman) July 24, 2026

Bell has worked in Tennessee State’s athletic department for over 30 years, and is currently the exeuctive senior associate athletic director for student-athlete services, and also serves as senior woman administrator. She served an an assistant women’s basketball coach during her early days with the program, before moving to front office roles.

It’s not clear how long the investigation is expected to take, or what a final decision regarding Allen’s future could look like at this time. It is also not certain as to whether Bell could be in line to assume the position of permanent athletic director should Allen be relieved of his dutires, or whether the school will cast a wide net to search for a potential replacement.

Allen served as Tennessee State’s assistant athletid director before being promoted in April 2020. He was a college football player at the University of Tennessee, and got his master’s degree at Tennessee State.

The school’s website highlights a number of facility improvement initiatives Allen has overseen during his time with the program, inclusive of enhancements to the Gentry Center.