Malcolm "Zeke" Avery will serve as the Interim Director of Athletics at Hampton University, effective immediately.  Avery will serve as AD while a national search is being conducted.  There are currently 25 applicants being evaluated.  

"I am excited to return to Hampton University to serve as interim athletics director while a search is being conducted," said Avery.  "I am honored to serve in this capacity and help bridge the transition to a new AD."

Avery is no stranger to Pirate athletics, having served 19 years with the universit  - including three years as Director of Athletics. During his first tenure as AD, Avery saw Hampton win 15 conference championships and five Talmadge Layman Hill and Mary McLeod Bethune All-Sports Awards given to the top men's and women's athletic program in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).

Prior to becoming Director of Athletics, Avery spent six years as the Assistant Director of Athletics, where he supervised the Olympic sports and served as Compliance Coordinator.

Under his direction, Hampton's Olympic sports captured 12 MEAC championships. Their success and stability aided Hampton in winning the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame Achievement Award in 2000 and 2001 as the Division I program in the state of Virginia with the highest overall winning percentage.

He was also a member of the compliance committee for the NCAA Graduation Rate Report at Hampton, and the former coordinator of both the NCAA Yes Clinic and the MEAC Tennis Championships.

Arriving at Hampton as the head men's basketball coach in 1987, Avery spent eight seasons at the helm of the Pirates, compiling a mark of 138-82. In 1991, he guided Hampton to the CIAA Tournament Championship, earning him the tournament's Most Outstanding Coach award, as well as being named the CIAA Coach of the Year.

The Pirates, who under Avery were known for their pressing defense and up-tempo style of basketball, advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament (South Atlantic Region) for just the second time in school history.

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