Wearing multiple hats, Alecia Shields-Gadson is the Deputy Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator as she enters her 10th season as the women’s cross country and track and field coach at Coppin State. 
 
Shields-Gadson has enhanced her reputation as one of the nation’s top track and field coaches as evidenced by having student-athletes compete internationally at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing and Pan-Am Games. She also coached Christina Epps to the 2015 USTFA national triple jump championship.
 
In addition, Coppin State has had student-athletes compete at the NCAA Championships in consecutive years under Shields-Gadson’s direction: Deandra Daniel (2015) and Christina Epps (2014). Both student-athletes earned All-America honors and are Coppin State indoor and outdoor record holders in their respective field events. Epps was named the MEAC Woman of the Year in 2014.
 
Under Shields-Gadson’s direction, the Eagles have become one of the best programs in the MEAC most notable in the field events.
 
In addition to her duties at Coppin State, Shields-Gadson also served as the past chair of the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Committee, NCAA Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee and the NCAA Woman of the Year selection committees.

Administratively at Coppin State, she is the chief of staff for athletics and has direct oversight of budget, facilities/events and athletic communication departments. Shields-Gadson has overseen Coppin State successfully hosting the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference volleyball tournament for eight consecutive years from 2007-2014.

Shields-Gadson joined the Coppin State staff after serving 10 years at Alcorn State where she served as the associate director of athletics and senior woman administrator as well as head coach of the Braves’ men’s and women’s cross country and track and field teams.

In 1998, Shields-Gadson was one of six participants selected for the NCAA Fellows Leadership Development Program.

The New Orleans native received her bachelor’s degree in English/communications from Southern University in Baton Rouge, La., in 1992 and her master’s degrees in athletic administration and secondary education/physical education from Alcorn State in 1995. She currently is a doctoral candidate.

At Southern, she was a three-time SWAC MVP on the track and won conference championships in the triple jump (3 times) and the long jump (2 times) following a stellar career at Eleanor McMain High School, where she earned All-America honors. She also lettered in volleyball, basketball, softball, swimming and tennis at McMain.