DURHAM, N.C. — North Carolina Central has made a move to bring alumna and former WSSU AD Etienne Thomas back to her HBCU.
NCCU Director of Athletics Dr. Louis “Skip” Perkins announced Thomas as the Eagles’ new Deputy Athletic Director/Senior Woman Administrator. It is a role that places her at the center of day-to-day leadership for the department. In the position, Thomas will provide oversight for key administrative functions and help ensure compliance with institutional standards as well as MEAC and NCAA rules.
For Thomas, it’s more than a new job title — it’s a return to the place that helped shape her. A 1996 NCCU graduate, she comes back to Durham with more than two decades of athletic administration experience. She has a track record that includes both conference success and department growth.
This homecoming also reconnects Thomas with a department she helped lead for nearly a decade. She previously served as Senior Woman Administrator from May 2008 through July 2017. During that run, she was Associate Director of Athletics from 2008 to 2016 before rising to Senior Associate Director of Athletics, building deep familiarity with the culture, expectations, and operational needs at NCCU.
Most recently, Thomas served as Director of Athletics at Winston-Salem State from January 2020 through 2025. Her tenure delivered tangible results: WSSU won five CIAA championships
Before WSSU, Thomas was Director of Athletics at Kentucky State from July 2018 to December 2019, where she helped drive fundraising growth, supported facility and marketing efforts, and oversaw the establishment of a men’s volleyball program. She also spent a year at the University of Kansas as Associate Director of Athletics for Student Life.
Thomas completed the NCAA Fellows Program in 2006. She has finished all coursework toward a J.D. at the University of Iowa College of Law. She remains active in several national athletics organizations. Her return gives North Carolina Central University a seasoned leader with a proven ability to elevate programs — and a personal connection to the Eagles’ mission.