TAMPA, JAN. 28, 2021 – University of South Florida Athletics is excited to announce the selection of two leaders in positions overseeing the Athletics Academic Support Services unit and Student-Athlete Enhancement.
JoEllen Rhome, who has been a valuable member of the USF Athletics Academic Support Services unit since 2017, was promoted to Associate Athletics Director for Academic Services. She had been serving as the interim Director of Academic Services since June.
Rhome, who earned a master’s degree in education from USF (2013) and is currently pursuing a doctorate in higher education at USF, will oversee the Athletics’ Academic Services unit serving nearly 500 student-athletes. She will oversee the day-to-day operations of the unit as well as serve as the primary academic liaison with an assigned team and work to continue the staff’s integration with the University Department of Undergraduate Studies. Rhome, who earned her bachelor’s degree from Tennessee (2011), has been a part of the USFS Academic Support Services unit since 2017, serving as the academic coordinator for men’s and women’s soccer and the women’s tennis program and serving as the tutor coordinator overseeing a staff of 45 student workers. Rhome also serves on a variety of campus boards, including the University Conduct Board and the Council for Academic Advising.
USF also welcomed Carlton Rice to Tampa as the Assistant Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Enhancement.
Rice will oversee the day-to-day operations of the Student-Athlete Enhancement unit including staff, programming and execution. He will have a special focus on the areas of leadership advancement, personal enhancement, special events and the Student-Athlete Leadership Academy.
Rice, who will earn his doctorate of education from Tennessee State in 2023, comes to USF after serving eight years as the athletic director at Lawson State Community College (2013-21) in Birmingham, Ala. He also previously served as athletic director at Burke High School (2009-13) in Charleston, S.C., and worked as a physical education instructor and as a graduate assistant in the Alabama A&M athletics department.
Rice was a football letterman at Mississippi State (2003-06), where he earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education in 2006, and at Alabama A&M, where he was the Defensive MVP and earned his master’s degree in physical education in 2009.
About USF Athletics
USF Athletics sponsors 19 varsity men’s and women’s teams that compete in 11 different sports, 18 at the NCAA Division I level in the American Athletic Conference, and recently announced the addition of women’s lacrosse starting in 2023-24. The Bulls’ athletic program began in 1965 and completed its 55th season in 2020-21. Nearly 450 student-athletes train and compete in the athletic district located on the east end of the campus in Tampa, Fla. The Bulls have claimed 26 American Athletic Conference team titles since joining the conference in 2013, including seven trophies in the 2021 calendar year, and own 135 conference titles in department history. The Bulls have posted a combined annual grade-point average over 3.0 for seven straight years and have posted a program-record 14 straight semesters with a combined GPA over 3.0 as of the fall of 2021. USF has had nearly 500 student-athletes earn their degree since 2016-17.
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– #GoBulls –
