Change has been the theme of the offseason for the Concordia College Alabama athletics department. 

This summer the college has named a new athletic director and has new head coaches in place for women’s basketball, women’s softball, women’s track and field and women’s volleyball.

Former Selma City Schools Superintendent Don Jefferson is the school’s new athletic director, taking over a position that his predecessor Frankie Peoples held for just one year.

Peoples said he will now be full time faculty for the college’s sports management program.

Jefferson has history in Selma. He served as principal of Selma High School from 1993-1999 and was superintendent of Selma City Schools for a period from 2010-2011 before being terminated, in part, for authorizing a contract without board approval.

Now, he will serve as both vice president of student services and athletic director.

“In the past before I arrived here, athletics was actually under student services,” Jefferson said. “Last year for whatever reason they decided not to have athletics under student services, but after this year they decided to put it back.”

After three coaches left for other openings and CCA ruled that full-time faculty members would not also be allowed to serve as head coaches, Jefferson had five open positions to fill.

Women’s basketball coach Eric Jackson, volleyball coach Brandon Reeves and softball coach Venecia Eaton all left for other positions. Track and field coach Timeka Ross, who started that program, and cheerleading coach Courtney Washington, were moved to full-time faculty, meaning they were restricted from coaching.

“We did some changes in our department as far as academic and athletics, and it was decided that we had several coaches that were also on the academic side and we wanted them to focus just on academics,” Jefferson said.

Requests for comment on the new policy from Concordia College Alabama president Dr. Tilahun Mekonnen Mendedo were directed to Dexter Jackson, the college’s vice president of business and finance. Jackson could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts to contact him over several weeks.

Cheryl Washington, the vice president of academic affairs, could also not be reached for comment despite numerous messages left requesting comment.

“That was just an administrative decision,” Jefferson said of the decision.

“Our president felt like after talking to cabinet members that that’s what we needed to do.”

Jefferson has already filled four of the five coaching positions that were vacated.

Howard White, who served as an assistant men’s basketball coach last year, will be the head women’s assistant head coach this year. He will also still serve as the assistant men’s basketball coach.

Howard takes over a women’s program that won the United States Collegiate Athletic Association national championship in 2014 and was ranked No. 1 in the USCAA coaches’ poll most of the 2015 season.

“Any time you have someone that wins a championship, it is always going to be a little bit of a blow [to lose them],” Jefferson said of Eric Jackson’s departure. “I think that coach White working with our male team that was very successful last year as well will carry on a lot of what coach Jackson was able to put together over the last couple of years.”

Eaton left to serve as the city’s new youth and senior coordinator. Her position as head softball coach has been filled by Katasha Turner, who will also serve as the school’s new volleyball coach and as an assistant women’s basketball coach. Turner replaces Reeves as volleyball coach.

Oronde Walker will take over the women’s track and field program. Ross will remain on staff as an English professor.