SWAC Names Adeanah Pooler as First Female Deputy Commissioner
Trailblazing Administrator Brings Two Decades of Experience in Academics and Athletics
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Adeanah Pooler has been promoted to Deputy Commissioner of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, marking a historic milestone as the first woman to hold the title in the league’s history.
Pooler, who joined the SWAC in 2019 as Associate Commissioner for Internal Operations and Senior Woman Administrator, steps into the role with a reputation for transformative leadership and a proven track record of enhancing academic success and administrative efficiency. Her appointment was announced by SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland, who lauded her as “a key member of our senior leadership team” and praised her “exemplary and steadfast commitment” to the conference’s mission.
In her new role, Pooler will oversee day-to-day conference operations, spearhead special initiatives, and guide staff performance and development. She also remains the primary liaison for the league’s senior woman administrators and continues to facilitate the SWAC Woman of the Year selection process.
Prior to joining the SWAC, Pooler spent a decade at Texas Southern University as Assistant Athletic Director for Academics. There, she helped reverse academic shortcomings across multiple sports programs, notably lifting the institution’s Academic Progress Rate (APR) scores. Under her guidance, Texas Southern received the FCS ADA APR Most Improved Award for the SWAC during the 2011–12 season. All of TSU’s athletics programs have met or exceeded NCAA academic standards for 11 consecutive years.
Pooler also played a pivotal role in securing over $550,000 in NCAA Accelerating Academic Success Program grants during her time at TSU. Her impact extended beyond the campus, as she helped secure nearly $100,000 through the Save the Children Grant to support community youth initiatives. Academically, the university saw a consistent rise in achievement, with over 150 student-athletes earning spots on the 2018–19 All-SWAC Academic Team and a minimum of 100 honorees annually since 2014.
Before her tenure at TSU, Pooler served six years in the athletics department at South Carolina State University, where she oversaw several athletic programs and coordinated academic support services. A graduate of South Carolina State, she holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the institution. As a student-athlete, she captained the Lady Bulldog Basketball Team and earned academic honors. She began her collegiate athletic career at the University of Southern Mississippi, competing in basketball and track before transferring.
Pooler is a member of the National Association for Academic Advisors (N4A) and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. A native of San Antonio, Texas, her promotion signals not just a personal achievement but a moment of progress for the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
