Norfolk State University Athletics

Kentrell Kearney returned to Norfolk State University to serve as the Associate Athletic Director for Student Services in November of 2023. In this role, Kearney has administrative oversight of compliance, academics, mental health, sports medicine, and strength and conditioning. 
 
Prior to his return, Kearney worked at Darthmouth College as the senior associate athletics director for compliance and Florida A&M University as the associate athletics director for compliance.
 
At both institutions, Kearney oversaw all aspects of the athletics compliance office related to their efforts to operate an intercollegiate athletics program within the NCAA, conference and school rules and guidelines. In addition, at Florida A&M he served as the sport administrator for several teams and as the advisor to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, plus developed student-athlete programming related to personal development, career development, mental health and community service.
 
Prior to Florida A&M, Kearney spent two years as the director of compliance at Norfolk State University. In his role with the Spartans, Kearney served as the day-to-day manager of the athletics compliance office. He developed and implemented a comprehensive compliance program that supported the athletic department's goal to maintain adherence to NCAA legislation through educating coaches and staff, monitoring activities and enforcing rules.
 
Kearney has spent time at the conference level with both the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). He was the assistant director of compliance/championships at the MEAC for two-and-a-half years, assisting with the oversight of all aspects of the conference compliance program, which included serving as the primary compliance liaison with member institutions for rules education and interpretations. Other responsibilities included oversight of the conference National Letter of Intent (NLI) program and serving as the primary liaison to MEAC Faculty Athletics Representatives Committee and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
 
He served as the compliance services coordinator at the SWAC for two years, assisting in overseeing the day-to-day compliance responsibilities of the SWAC office to include NCAA rules and governance, education and interpretations of the NCAA/SWAC rules.
 
Kearney graduated from Norfolk State University in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in business before receiving a master's degree in sport management from Old Dominion University in 2010. Kearney is an alum of the NCAA Dr. Charles Whitcomb Leadership Institute (2024), a member of the National Association of Athletics Compliance (NAAC) and attended several NCAA workshops, including the NCAA Leadership Academy and Effective Facilitation Workshops.