Football coach, athletic director out at Delaware State in athletic shakeup
12/04/2024 06:14 PM
Delaware State University has decided to move on from head football coach Lee Hull after two seasons. The Hornets have endured 12 consecutive losing seasons and have not won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) title since 2007.
Also added into the fold Alecia Shields-Gadson, who has served as Delaware State University’s athletic director since 2021, is leaving the university "to pursue new opportunities," according to DSU officials. Shields-Gadson, who has been with DSU athletics since 2016, previously held the role of senior associate athletic director.
She will be succeeded by Tony Tucker, a veteran educator who has served as Delaware State’s senior associate vice president overseeing athletics since 2023. Tucker led Wilmington High to a state basketball title and was named Delaware Player of the Year in 1983 before transferring to the University of Delaware, where he became a standout player.
This year the Hornets finished 1-11, losing all of their conference games and ending the season on a 10-game losing streak after a 1-1 start.
Hull, the 24th head coach in team history, was hired on Dec. 20, 2022. A former MEAC champion head coach with more than 25 years of experience at the professional and NCAA Division I levels, Hull's tenure at Delaware State ended with a 2-21 overall record and a 0-10 mark in the MEAC. This season, the Hornets lost their five MEAC games by an average score of 46-18.
Delaware State's only victories during Hull's tenure came in a 48-0 win over Virginia University of Lynchburg in 2023 and a victory over Sacred Heart this year. The team ranked last in the conference in passing defense, rushing defense, and scoring, and second-to-last in both offensive passing and rushing.
Prior to Hull's arrival, the Hornets finished 5-6 in 2022, with a 2-3 conference record. The team posted an identical 2-3 MEAC record in 2021 under former coach Rod Milstead, a former DSU All-American and Super Bowl champion with the San Francisco 49ers. Milstead was dismissed after five seasons, having compiled a 17-33 overall record and a 7-18 mark in the MEAC.
Before joining Delaware State, Hull served as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at rival Howard University from 2020 to 2022. Under Hull's guidance, Howard won a share of the MEAC championship in 2022, its first title since 1993, with a 4-1 conference record.
In the past Hull also served as head coach at Morgan State from 2014 to 2015. In 2014, he led the Bears to a share of the MEAC championship, their first title since 1979, and a berth in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. He was named MEAC Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award as the top FCS coach.
Hull's departure comes as the MEAC sees a second coaching change in a week. Norfolk State University announced last week that it had relieved head coach Dawson Odums of his duties.
As the off-season recruiting process begins, both Delaware State and Norfolk State will face significant challenges in attracting top talent to their respective programs. However, the adversity could also serve as a testament to the resilience of both programs heading into next season.
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