Derek Horne named Bethel University Vice President of Athletics

Derek Horne Named Bethel University Vice President of Athletics

McKenzie, Tenn. – Bethel University President Dr. Perry Moulds is pleased to announce the appointment of Derek J. Horne as Vice President of Athletics. Horne is set to take over guiding the Wildcats’ athletics department on December 8. 

As a member of the University’s senior leadership team, Horne will lead all aspects of athletics and be responsible for the performance of programs, coaches, staff and student-athletes in addition to ensuring the athletics department continues to embrace the NAIA model of academics, character development and community involvement.

“I am thrilled to welcome Derek and his wife Sheila to the Bethel University family. Athletics plays an important role in our campus culture, and the majority of our undergraduate students participate in collegiate sports,” said President Perry Moulds. “Derek’s three decades of experience in athletics administration, and as a student-athlete himself, will benefit our student-athletes and our entire campus community.”

“I am honored to lead Bethel Athletics into its next chapter of championship growth and success,” said Horne. “I want to thank Dr. Mounds for allowing me to bring my experiences and perspective to this wonderful campus and develop and create opportunities for our student-athletes, coaches and staff to succeed on and off the fields of play and emphasize and encourage them to continue to be positive role models in the McKenzie community.”  

Horne comes to Bethel from Temple University in Philadelphia, where he was Executive Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Strategic Initiatives and Sports for three years. In this role, he provided high-level counsel to the Director of Athletics to support strategic initiatives and enhance the university’s overall mission with a focus on proactive approaches to develop programs and initiatives to achieve and maintain an effective and efficient environment within the athletics department. A member of the athletics executive leadership team for the Owls, Horne managed and supervised the administrative units of marketing & promotions, fan engagement, ticket sales, ticket operations, digital strategy, creative services, video production, as well as the spirit groups.

The college athletics veteran comes to Bethel having served as Director of Athletics at two NCAA Division I institutions – Florida A&M University (2010-13) and Alcorn State University (2014-21) – in addition to time in a senior athletics administrator at his alma mater, the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), and a leadership role with KLLM Transport Services.

In his seven-plus years at Alcorn State, the Braves experienced success across numerous sports and in the classroom. 

Athletics highlights included:

• Football captured the Southwestern Athletics Conference East Division crown and appeared in the SWAC Football Championship game a conference-first six times. The Braves took home the conference title four times (2014, 2015, 2018, 2019) and were tapped as the Black College National Champions in 2014. 
• Women’s tennis won the SWAC Championship in 2016 and appeared in the title match in back-to-back years (2018, 2019). Men’s (2017, 2018) and women’s tennis (2019) combined to claim three SWAC Player of the Year awards.
• Softball went five consecutive years in conference play (2016-19, 2021) without a losing record, which had never been done in program history, with back-to-back SWAC East Division titles in 2017 and 2018 and a SWAC Championship game appearance in 2021.
• Men’s golf student-athlete Daniel Racioppa made school history in 2017, becoming the first Alcorn student-athlete to win the individual title at the SWAC Championship and the first to compete in an NCAA Men’s Golf Championship Regional.
• Five different head coaches earned SWAC Coach of the Year honors under his watch –Anthony Dodgen (men’s tennis, 2016), Josef Rankin (softball, 2016), Montez Robinson (men’s basketball, 2016-17), Danny Forshey (men’s golf, 2017) and Fred McNair (football, 2018, 2019), who was also an Eddie Robinson Award finalist in back-to-back years.

In the classroom, Alcorn student-athletes reached new heights during Horne’s tenure, highlighted by 203 student-athletes earning degrees. The department saw its most successful two-year graduation totals among its student-athletes with an all-time high of 74 graduates in 2017-18 and 65 graduates in 2018-19. Horne helped Alcorn secure the NCAA Accelerated Academic Success Programs Grant in 2014-15, which made an immediate impact on the department’s academic progress.

During his time at Florida A&M, the Rattlers’ men’s and women’s programs consistently finished in the top three for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Talmadge Layman Hill Men’s All-Sports Award and Mary McLeod Bethune Women’s All-Sports Award. He oversaw capital planning for athletics facilities, including a renovation of the track & field facility, and served on the President’s strategic planning council and executive leadership team and the university’s athletic advisory committee.

Beyond his impact as an athletics and campus leader, Horne is a respected leader nationally as well. He is an active member of NACDA and Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA). His experience in event management and operations in the sports industry extends across a variety of events and organizations, including the NCAA, Southeastern Conference, MEAC, SWAC and American Conference. Horne is active in church and has been involved with numerous philanthropic organizations, including the American Cancer Society, Boys & Girls Club, Make-A-Wish Foundation, YMCA and Special Olympics. 

The Quitman, Ga., native is a 1987 Ole Miss graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. Horne was a standout student-athlete for the Rebels on the basketball court during his time in Oxford. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Sports Administration from Belhaven University in 2023. He is married to the former Sheila Mosley of New Albany, Miss., and they have one son, Christopher.

About Bethel University
Bethel University, located in McKenzie, Tennessee, is a Christian institution committed to academic excellence and personal growth. Offering a diverse range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs, Bethel equips students to lead with purpose and impact in their communities and beyond.

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