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Rhodes College Announces New President

Jennifer M. Collins will become the 21st Rhodes College president. (Credit: Rhodes College)

In a press conference this morning, Rhodes College announced that Jennifer M. Collins will become the school’s 21st president. The selection comes after a months-long national search that saw the school consider more than 200 prospects and receive over 100 applications for the position.

Collins currently serves as the Judge James Noel Dean and Professor of Law at Southern Methodist University’s Dedman School of Law in Dallas, Texas. Previously, she was a member of the law faculty at Wake Forest University, where she served as vice provost and professor of law. While at Wake Forest, she created the university’s first ever LGBTQ center and women’s center, and led a large effort to improve campus culture.

“Having the opportunity to become part of this extraordinary institution is truly the great joy and honor of my life, and I cannot wait to get to know all of you and start working alongside you,” said Collins. “When I talked to the search committee about why I was so excited about the Rhodes opportunity in particular, two things I focused on were your remarkable people and this wonderful place, the incredible city of Memphis, that I will now be so fortunate to call home.

“I know I still have so very much to learn about Rhodes and Memphis, and I promise you I will approach this role with a firm commitment to listen and learn, respect your culture and values, and work collaboratively, transparently, and joyfully with those who make Rhodes so special. Because as I always like to say, getting to work with these incredible young people is the greatest thing in the world, and there’s nothing that brings me more joy than that.”

Collins’ appointment was announced by Dr. Cary Fowler, co-chair of the Presidential Search Committee and chair of the Rhodes College board of trustees. The search process also included input from faculty, students, and the wider Rhodes community.

“With the help of Storbeck Search, the committee identified more than 200 prospects, held multiple rounds of formal interviews, and had numerous talks by phone as well as informal social encounters,” said Fowler. “The applicant pool was by far the strongest I have ever witnessed for any position in my professional life. One person in this wonderfully diverse and accomplished pool shone through at every stage.

“While Jennifer’s CV and her many accomplishments impressed us tremendously, it was her personal qualities that won our hearts. We found her to be warm and caring. A good listener. Empathetic and yet decisive; even unflappable. In Jennifer, we will have a president with the values we hold dear at Rhodes College.”

Collins will begin her tenure on July 1st, 2022. She succeeds Dr. Marjorie Hass, who departed this summer. Carroll D. Stevens will continue to serve as interim president until next July.

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Sports Tiger Blue

Three Thoughts on Tiger Football

CREDIT: Larry Kuznieski

• Best morning in the history of Memphis sports.
The party Memphis threw for ESPN’s College GameDay crew as the sun rose over Beale Street Saturday morning is one helluva metaphor. Both for local sports fandom and the larger Memphis community. The images broadcast nationally via the overhead cameras (and Goodyear Blimp) made the throng of Tiger fans look like a blue-clad force of nature. And it was entirely about the crowd. This was the inverse of typical sporting events: Stars attended to be near the fans. Penny Hardaway, Jarren Jackson, Ja Morant, Jerry Lawler, and even U of M football coach Mike Norvell himself (the one man most responsible for the event) made appearances, but the “star” was that crowd. However clever the signs may have been — and they were plenty clever, even Lee Corso with a grill — the message was larger, and on a scale I’m not convinced any Memphis team has achieved before. We are Memphis football, and we are extraordinary.
 Larry Kuznieski

Based on comments from Rece Davis, Desmond Howard, and Kirk Herbstreit — both during the broadcast and via social media — ESPN was thoroughly impressed with the Memphis delivery. During his press conference after Saturday night’s win, Norvell said, “We’ll invite them back next year.” And that’s the beautiful twist: The biggest traveling show in college football may well be back in the near future, guests in a football city few would recognize a generation ago.

• “This system is designed for playmakers.”
Norvell has been saying a version of this since he took over the Tiger program before the 2016 season. Patrick Taylor missed his eighth straight game Saturday night. His sublime replacement, Kenneth Gainwell, failed to top 100 yards rushing for the first time in two months. So onto the brightest of stages steps senior wide receiver Antonio Gibson. The senior scored touchdowns on a 50-yard reception, a 97-yard kickoff return (to open the second half), and a 78-yard run on his way to setting a new Tiger record with 386 all-purpose yards. Gibson, mind you, had 99 all-purpose yards for the entire 2018 season. If College GameDay was a three-hour infomercial for Memphis football and its arrival, the win Saturday night will be an invaluable recruiting tool for Norvell and his staff. Two years after suiting up for East Central Community College in Decatur, Mississippi, Antonio Gibson was the best college football player in the country on the biggest night in Memphis football history. He was, indeed, a playmaker.

• I saw a man flip-tackled by his facemask without a penalty called.
It turns out the strongest part of Gainwell’s body isn’t his legs or arms, but his neck. When SMU linebacker Richard McBryde took him down like a rodeo steer in the second half, he did so directly in front of referee Adam Savoie, yet no flag was thrown. What if Gainwell hadn’t jumped to his feet? Just as egregious, a second-half SMU punt was almost downed inside the Tiger five-yard line, but caromed off the hand of a Mustang player into the end zone for a touchback . . . until officials ruled the player had “control” of the ball at the two-yard line. What if the Tigers hadn’t responded with a 98-yard touchdown drive?

These two face-plants by the American Athletic Conference officiating crew went against the team that won the game, so there’s an inclination to forget and forgive. But consider how close Saturday’s game was. Consider the stakes: at least a berth in the AAC championship game, and perhaps a berth in a New Year’s Six bowl game. On an otherwise glorious night for his league — in front of a national audience in prime time — AAC commissioner Mike Aresco witnessed an embarrassing display of officiating. This was not a crew allergic to yellow laundry. A total of 27 penalties were assessed in the game. If a defensive back so much as looked at an intended receiver, pass interference was likely. Yet (at least) two major calls were missed. Savoie’s crew should be penalized, with no assignment the remainder of the season for a game that could impact the AAC championship. The Tigers overcame two opponents in front of those ABC cameras. If the AAC wants to be “Power 6,” games must be decided strictly by the players.

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Sports Tiger Blue

AAC Tourney Preview

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

For more than 300 college basketball teams, the NCAA tournament begins this week. Beyond the highest-ranked teams in the country, the only way to dream of “One Shining Moment” is to win your conference tournament. Three wins — maybe four — in as many days. There’s no more rigorous fight for a dance ticket in any sport, including the pros.

I think it’s more likely we see Josh Pastner pose for a photo with a middle-finger raised than we see the Memphis Tigers win this week’s American Athletic Conference tournament. But as Lloyd Christmas emphasized so eloquently in Dumb and Dumber . . . there’s a chance.

Larry Kuzniewski

Shaq Goodwin, All-AAC?


The bracket in Orlando couldn’t have been filled more favorably for the 17-14 Tigers. The U of M wants no part of SMU, Connecticut, or Cincinnati, having gone 1-5 against this trio during the regular season. The Mustangs won’t even be in the field, serving a postseason ban for academic misdeeds. And the Huskies and Bearcats are on the opposite side of the bracket, meaning the Tigers wouldn’t face either team until the final and, importantly, cannot face them both this weekend. Instead, Memphis gets Tulsa (20-10) in a Friday-night quarterfinal. On February 28th at FedExForum, the Tigers beat the Golden Hurricane, 92-82. Most revealing from that contest: Tulsa showed little resistance for the U of M’s two most potent threats. Senior Shaq Goodwin had 28 points and 11 rebounds in the victory with freshman Dedric Lawson adding 27 points and 12 boards. In no other AAC game this season did the Tigers shoot better than they did that Sunday afternoon (54 percent).

If the Tigers can knock off Tulsa, they’d likely face Houston (22-8) in a Saturday semifinal. Memphis led the Cougars at halftime (48-40) on February 10th in Texas, only to be thoroughly dominated in the second half. Can Devonta Pollard again score 34? Damyean Dotson 21? The Tigers hope to find out while top-seeded Temple wrestles with UConn or Cincy in the other semifinal.

Coach Josh Pastner will likely bring up the story of his second Memphis team this week. The 2010-11 Tigers — featuring freshmen Will Barton, Tarik Black, and Joe Jackson — entered the Conference USA tournament in El Paso with a 22-9 record, having lost three of their last four games and dancing precariously on the bubble of the NCAA tournament field. They proceeded to win the tournament, taking three games in three days, including two over teams (East Carolina and host UTEP) that had beaten them during their late-season slide.

The Tigers need to win at least one game this week to earn consideration for the NIT. Eighteen wins weren’t enough last year, remember. It’s a band-of-brothers road trip for the U of M. Embattled coach, talented but under-achieving roster of players, and virtually no expectations any longer to meet. Lace ’em up, hit the floor, and see what happens. Yep, there’s a chance.

• Despite finishing seventh in the American, the Tigers feature two players who will be considered for first-team all-conference honors. Freshman Dedric Lawson should make the team, having finished fifth in the league in scoring (15.4 points per game) and atop the AAC in rebounding (9.2). Senior Shaq Goodwin finished seventh in both categories, his numbers this season (15.2 and 8.0) considerably better than those he put up as a sophomore (11.5 and 6.5) when he was named second-team All-AAC. How a team with two such stars managed to finish 8-10 in league play will be a good conversation starter over the offseason.

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Sports Sports Feature

Tigers Top SMU in Three OTs, 55-52; Accept Bowl Bid

It was one of those games where old the cliche, “whoever has the ball last will win” was literally true.

After multiple lead changes and ties throughout the game, the Tigers and SMU ended up tied at the end of regulation, 42-42, as Memphis Matt Reagan missed a potential game-winning field goal from 32 yards.

Overtime brought more of the same, as the teams traded scores until Reagan’s second-chance game-winner in the third extra period.

Tiger quarterback Martin Hankins threw for 4 touchdowns and 350 yards, to lead the Memphis offense. The Tigers finished the regular season at 7-5 and are headed to a bowl game for the fourth time in Coach Tommy’s West’s tenure, having accepted a bid from the New Orleans just after game.

For stats, recap, play-by-play, etc., go to SI.Com.