Owensboro, Ky. – Dr. Darlene Moore has been named the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance, Student Services, and Sport Administration at Kentucky Wesleyan College, as announced by Vice President of Athletics Jason Vittone on Thursday. Her official start date will be July 15, 2025.
"I am honored to accept this position as part of the administrative staff under the leadership of Vice President of Athletics Jason Vittone," Moore said. "This is a true opportunity to help shape student-athletes' journeys, support our coaches, and contribute to a tradition of excellence both in competition and in the classroom."
Previously, Dr. Moore served as the Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance and Academic Services at Texas Women's University. While at TWU, Dr. Moore oversaw the compliance program, which serves over 200 student-athletes annually. Dr. Moore also oversaw a comprehensive athletics academic program for 9 intercollegiate athletic sports, resulting in an athletic departmental GPA of 3.00 or higher during the year. Her duties included providing student-athlete support in the areas of retention, student-athlete concerns, gender equity and Title IX issues.
Dr. Moore has many years of experience in compliance roles at the Division II level. Additionally, before beginning her career in these roles, Dr. Moore became a championship-winning cross country and track and field coach at the Division I and II levels, winning 22 total NCAA Conference Championships (12 Division II, 10 Division I).
"We are excited to welcome Dr. Moore to campus," Vice President of Athletics Jason Vittone said. "She brings an impressive resume of experience and leadership to our community. Our faculty, staff, and student-athletes will be well served by her commitment to a positive student-athlete experience. We are fortunate that she has chosen to join the Panther family."
Prior to Texas Women's, Dr. Moore served as the Interim Assistant Athletic Director of Compliance and Deputy Title IX Coordinator at Hawaii Pacific University. In this position, Dr. Moore handled all compliance responsibilities and worked alongside the university's Title IX coordinator to foster a welcoming and accepting culture at HPU.
Before her time at Hawaii Pacific, Dr. Moore spent three years at her alma mater, Albany State University. She first served as the Special Assistant to the Athletic Director, overseeing compliance education programming and assisting with recruiting documents.
After that brief period, Dr. Moore was promoted to the Assistant Athletic Director for Academics and Compliance and Senior Woman Administrator. In this position, Dr. Moore led the compliance department, served as a sports administrator for eight intercollegiate sports, and was a member of the Division II Cross Country Committee, additionally being elected President in July 2023. She also oversaw an athletics' academic program for 11 intercollegiate athletic sports, which included advising, tutoring referrals, academic alerts and monitoring degree progress for coaches.
Prior to joining the administrative world, Dr. Moore had a very successful career as a Cross Country and Track and Field Coach. Beginning her collegiate coaching career at Fort Valley State in 1998, Dr. Moore was a three-time Division II South Region Coach of the Year, a four-time Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Track and Field and Cross Country Coach of the Year, and a three-time Fort Valley State Coach of the Year. She was named the National Female Track and Field Coach of the Year by the National Association for Girls and Women in Sports in 2002. Also in 2002, Dr. Moore was named the Georgia Female College Coach of the Year by the Georgia Women Intersport Network.
Dr. Moore had an incredible stint at Fort Valley State, leading the Wildcats to four SIAC Track and Field Championship Titles, two SIAC Track and Field Runner-Up Titles, four SIAC Cross Country Championship Titles (team and individual). She coached 71 SIAC Conference Champions and 15 NCAA Division II All-Americans. Next in her illustrious career, Dr. Moore served as the Assistant Men and Women Track and Field and Cross Country Coach at Albany State for three years. She then transitioned to being the Head Men and Women Track and Field and Cross Country Coach at Division I Florida A&M from 2009-19. She also served as the Senior Women's Administrator from 2017-19.
During her time with the Rattlers, she was a seven-time Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Cross Country Coach of the Year, a three-time MEAC Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year and the HBCU Digest National Female Coach of the Year in 2015.
She led the women's programs to seven MEAC Cross Country Championship Titles and three MEAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship Titles. Additionally, she coached 31 MEAC Individual Conference Champions. Dr. Moore coached the 2017 MEAC Cross Country Individual Champion, an All-Region Runner and Region Qualifiers. Dr. Moore is a member of the Albany State Athletic Hall of Fame, the Fort Valley State Athletic Hall of Fame, and the Florida A&M Athletic Hall of Fame.
Through all her roles, Dr. Moore has emphasized the total well-being of student-athletes and prioritized a holistic approach to student-athlete success.
Dr. Moore has a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Albany State, a Master of Education degree in Health and Physical Education from Georgia Southwestern State University, a Specialist of Education in Teacher Leadership from Walden University, and a Doctorate of Education in Teacher Leadership from Walden.
While pursuing her undergraduate degree, Dr. Moore ran track and cross country at Albany State. She was an all-conference honoree in track and cross country, and she also held the record for the 400m dash. Dr. Moore is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
She is married to Michael Moore, a retired collegiate head men basketball coach. They have four dogs: Dinky, Darcy, Doodle and Snow.
