LORMAN, Miss. – Alcorn State Athletics recently announced three new members of the Athletic Department entering the 2023-2024 athletic seasons. Demetrius Howse was named Associate Athletic Director, while Alonzo Banks was named Head Track and Field/Cross Country Coach and Angel Brooks-Thomas Athletic Academic Advisor.
"We are thrilled to add these additions to our staff and are looking forward to continuing to build on our brand here at Alcorn, said Director of Athletics, Raynoid DeDeaux. "These additions bring in a wealth of knowledge in their respective fields and are going to be great additions to the Alcorn family."
Demetrius Howse – Associate Athletic Director (Strategic Communications)
Howse was named Associate Athletic Director, Strategic Communications at Alcorn State University in May 2023, overseeing all communications and marketing efforts for athletics and serving as the primary media contact for the Braves athletics department, football, men's basketball, baseball, and tennis. The Lancaster, Texas native comes to Alcorn after a stint as the Assistant Director, Communications at the Western Athletic Conference in Arlington, Texas. Howse was the primary contact for volleyball, women's soccer, men & women swimming & diving, men & women tennis, women's basketball, and softball. Prior to his time at the WAC, Howse served as the Associate Director of Strategic Communications at Southern University from August of 2021 until September of 2022. Howse was the primary contact for men's basketball, volleyball, softball, and tennis and served as the secondary football contact at Southern. He was also in charge of scripting and producing a bi-weekly athletics department television show. Prior to Southern, Howse was a Coordinator of Athletics Communications & Public Relations at Mississippi Valley State from January of 2020 until July of 2021. Along with his time on campus, Howse worked as a communications and championships contractor for the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) since the fall of 2018, filling a variety of roles that included championship statistics keeping, public address announcing and graphic design at SWAC championships. Howse also served similar contractor roles working alongside Prairie View A&M (2018-19) and Houston (2017-19) after getting his start at Texas Southern, where he broke into collegiate athletics as a media relations statistician from 2011-15. He later worked as a special assistant for the Texas Southern football program from 2015-18. Howse graduated from Texas Southern University with a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology in December of 2017.
Alonzo Banks – Head Men's and Women's Track and Field/Cross Country
Banks was named the head coach of the Alcorn State University Track and Field and Cross-Country programs in May 2023. Banks joins Alcorn after spending the previous three years in the same role at Mississippi Valley State in Itta Bena, Mississippi. While at Mississippi Valley State, Banks coached Darrione Joseph who won third place at the 2023 SWAC Outdoor Championships in the 100-meter hurdles along with second place finishes in the 60-meter hurdles at the 2022 SWAC Indoor Championships and in the 100-meter hurdles. Banks also coached the 2020 SWAC Indoor Shot-put champion, Tiara DeRosa. DeRosa was also the 2021 SWAC Outdoor champion in the shot-put and discus events being named the Most Outstanding Field Performer from the championships. Prior to Mississippi Valley, Banks spent six seasons with Southern Arkansas University where he served as the assistant coach for four seasons before being promoted to Associate Head Track and Field and Cross-Country coach in 2018. During his tenure at Southern Arkansas University, Banks athletes has received 130 All-Conference and nine Great American Conference Athlete of the Week honorees. Many program records have been broken. The women's 400m, 400 hurdles and long jump records have been broken twice since the program's reboot in 2014.
The Lady Muleriders and Muleriders received back-to-back Runner-Up finishes in 2016 and 2017 at the Great American Conference meet. In 2018, the Muleriders won the Great American Conference title that had not been won since 1985. Banks has coached 14 individual and two relay teams to event titles during the GAC Championships since 2016. Each season, his athletes have received NCAA Division II provisional qualifying marks along with athletes being selected to the USTFCCCA All-Central Regionals team. While under Banks' direction, Kenisha Bryant (one of the most decorated athletes in the women's program history) captured the GAC 400m and 400m Hurdle titles. She qualified to compete at two DII National Championships and has received USTFCCCA All-America honors in the 400m Hurdles and selected as a member of the USTFCCCA All-Central Region team. Karonce Higgins, a three-time GAC Individual Champion in the Long Jump, and the 200m and the 2018 GAC Men's High Point Award Winner. In the 2019 season, Karonce ran a career best 200m (20.83) and competed in the DII National Championships. Aurthur Jeffery was another standout athlete under Banks guidance, a 3-time GAC Triple Jump Champion, Conference record holder and school record holder (15.24m). Also, under Banks, the 4x400m relay teams excelled, the women team (Roy, Lentz, Yocom, Bryant) own the school record (3:48.12). The men team (Atkins, Banks, Higgins, Ross) 2-time Conference Champions and set the GAC record (3:12.69) and met the DII qualifying mark, finished 15th in the nation.
Prior to SAU, Banks spent the 2013-2014 season at his alma mater as a volunteer accountable coach under the direction of head coach Brian O'Neal. Banks helped mentor the 400m, sprint, hurdle, and the middle-distance runners such as Holland Sherrer who ran a personal best of 1:48.95 in the 800 meters at the Outdoor NCAA East Preliminary and Dameon Morgan who ran a personal best of 1:48.90 in the 800 meters at the Outdoor NCAA East Preliminary. Banks also assisted in the recruitment of Shannon Ray and Nicole Henderson who were ranked in the top five for the state of Louisiana. The duo went on to receive All-America honors during their collegiate careers at Ole Miss. During his decorated collegiate career at Ole Miss, under the leadership of Coach Joe Walker, Banks was a three time All-American and the 1999 SEC 400-meter Champion. Although his primary event was the 400m, he also competed in the 800 meters and 4x400 meter relay. His other honors include All-SEC First Team performer five times, team captain and MVP in 1999, and competed (indoor 1996 and outdoor 1999) in the 400 meters at the USA Track & Field Championships. He was a member of the 4x400 meter relay team that won the Penn Relays Men's Collegiate Division in 1995 and the Men's Championship of America in 1999. Banks earned a bachelor's degree in exercise science from Ole Miss in 1999. He received USATF Level 1 certification and Specialist certification in the United States Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) in Sprints, Hurdles, and Relays. He is married to Kogrecha Banks. The couple has four children: three sons, Tyrenzo, Ta'Zion, and Taahir, and one daughter, Ti'Alone'.
Angel Brooks-Thomas – Athletic Academic Advisor
Brooks-Thomas was named the Athletic Academic Advisor for Alcorn State Athletics in May 2023. Brooks-Thomas will work alongside the Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Services in assisting with the growth and development of the student-athletes by constructing educational plans that are compatible with life goals. Brooks-Thomas is a two-time graduate of Alcorn State obtaining her bachelor's degree in education in the spring 2018 and her masters in NCAA Compliance and APR in the fall of 2020. As a student, Brooks-Thomas worked alongside the men's basketball team in numerous capacities along with being a work study student in the department. A native of Natchez, Mississippi, Brooks-Thomas is married to former Braves football student-athlete Jalen Thomas, and they have one son, Axen Thomas.
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