In 1994, the unthinkable happened on the campus of Albany State University.
Tropical Storm Alberto unleashed torrential rain across Southwest Georgia, causing the Flint River to overflow and swallow much of the city. The “Artesian City,” as Albany is known, became a basin for floodwaters that rose beyond every imaginable boundary. Much of the Albany State campus was submerged.
Today, a lone smokestack on campus marks how high the water reached. From nearly every vantage point, it becomes clear that where one now stands would once have been underwater. Scattered across campus are quiet reminders of the devastation left behind by the flood.
From that disaster came rebirth.
Albany State undertook a complete reimagining of its campus. The former campus footprint became what is now referred to as the “lower campus,” while a new, elevated main campus rose across the street on higher ground. With more than $150 million in state recovery funds, the university was not only rebuilt but fortified—adding extensive drainage infrastructure designed to prevent a repeat of such destruction, even in the face of another historic storm.
With the Georgia Army National Guard deployed under Operation Crested River, the flooding became one of the most dramatic natural disasters broadcast on national television. At the time, the damage appeared irreparable. It felt as though everything had been lost.
Yet Albany State endured.
Temporary facilities were erected while engineers and planners reshaped the university’s future. Over the next two decades, Albany State added residence halls, a student center, a football stadium, and a fine arts center—each symbolizing resilience and renewal.
That same resilience was mirrored on the athletic fields.
Even as the storm clouds gathered in the mid-1990s, Albany State football was beginning the most dominant stretch in SIAC history. From 1993 to 1997, the Golden Rams captured five consecutive conference championships—an achievement unmatched since Florida A&M legend Jake Gaither’s historic runs of 10 straight and six straight titles.
In 2021, head coach Gabe Giardina ended an eight-year championship drought by leading Albany State to an SIAC title with a win over Miles College in Birmingham. Giardina departed for Charleston Southern following the 2022 season, prompting ASU President Dr. Marion Fedrick and Athletic Director Tony Duckworth to search for a leader capable of sustaining the renewed winning tradition.
They found that leader in Quinn Gray.
Gray reached the SIAC Championship Game in his first season but fell to Benedict College, coached by Chennis Berry. in 2023. Berry repeated in 2023 before moving on to succeed legendary coach Buddy Pough.
By 2025, Gray’s program reached its apex.
With two-time SIAC Offensive Player of the Year Isaiah Knowles at quarterback, Albany State dominated the season. The Golden Rams’ lone regular-season loss came against FCS opponent Florida A&M—a one-score defeat in which ASU pushed the Rattlers to the limit.
Albany State went on to claim the SIAC title and earn the No. 1 seed in the region. They defeated Benedict for the third time that season and, despite being forced to play a fourth-string walk-on quarterback in the second round of the playoffs, nearly pulled off another remarkable victory.
As the season concluded—and with Gray’s alma mater Florida A&M parting ways with its head coach—speculation swirled. Soon after, Gray officially departed Albany State, initiating a pivotal search under Dr. Kristene Kelly’s leadership.
Kelly has been unwavering in her efforts to elevate the Albany State brand, particularly in strengthening the academic profile of ASU Athletics. Now, she faces the task of revitalizing the university’s most visible program: football. The urgency is real, as the NCAA transfer portal window narrows to January 2–16, 2026, making swift and decisive leadership essential.
Coaches have come and gone. Floodwaters have risen and receded.
Yet from the brilliance of the Jones brothers on the basketball court to the championship success of the 2025 cross country and football teams, Albany State continues to rise.
She has been tested by nature and time—and remains, unquestionably, Unsinkable.