Milton Overton was named Director of Athletics on October 31, 2017, and officially took over the reins at Kennesaw State University on Dec. 13.
A then 25-year veteran of college athletics administration, Overton arrived at KSU after spending two years as Director of Athletics at Florida A&M University. He is the fourth individual to hold the position at Kennesaw State.
In the midst of his arrival at KSU, the Owls were putting together the most successful season in program history in 2017-18, capturing seven regular season championships and winning two more tournament titles. In all, Kennesaw State sent eight teams to NCAA postseason play, culminating with football advancing to the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs in just its third season of competition.
Kennesaw State added one more trophy to its case at the end of the year, winning the 2017-18 ASUN Bill Bibb Trophy as all-sport champions of the league. The Owls overtook three-time defending champion FGCU, registering 240 total points out of a possible 339 for 70.8 percent.
The 21-22 year saw KSU reach championship-level success on and off the field. The Owls claimed conference titles in football, baseball, women’s track and field, and men’s tennis. KSU also claimed a national title with its co-ed competition cheerleading squad. Owl teams or individuals made five NCAA postseason appearances, and six student-athletes garnered All-American honors.
The Owls celebrated success in the classroom. For the first time, KSU had three CoSIDA Academic All-Americans in Siena Gore, Sarah Hendrick, and Taylor Cates. KSU placed 15 members across ASUN and Big South All-Academic Teams, and the Owls boasted two ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award winners with Katie Meyer and Siena Gore.
KSU student-athletes were involved in the community. The Owls spent over 1,000 hours of community service to give back to the Kennesaw, Cobb, and North Georgia communities.
That year set the stage for new heights. On the afternoon of October 14, 2022, KSU and Conference USA announced the Owls would join as members beginning July 1, 2024. Overton is in the midst of leading an impressive transformation as KSU embarks to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
With the news leading into basketball season, KSU's success and visibility soared. Men's basketball secured its first-ever ASUN Conference regular season championship, and in front of a record home-crowd of over 3,800 and a national audience, KSU defeated Liberty to win its first ASUN Tournament and appear in March Madness. The Owls captured the state and nation's affection leading up to and during their NCAA tournament appearance. KSU generated an estimated multimedia ad value equivalency of $305,293,833 as its story was told in the likes of ESPN, CBS, Today, CNN, Yahoo News, Sports Illustrated, and Southern Living.
Head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim was named the Hugh Durham National Mid-Major Coach of the Year after steering KSU to the quickest turnaround following a one-win season to the Big Dance in NCAA history (3 seasons). Following the season, Overton landed Alabama's Antoine Pettway as the program's head coach. Pettway came to the Black and Gold after a stellar 15 years on the Alabama coaching staff, which culminated in the Crimson Tide spending several weeks as the nation’s No. 1 ranked team in 2022-23. Known as one of the top recruiters in the nation, he brought in the third-ranked class in the nation in 2022.
In the midst of KSU's historic basketball run, track and field added to its medal collection when Isaiah Rogers became KSU's second national champion. Rogers won gold on his final attempt at the NCAA Track and Field Indoor Championships in the weight throw.
April continued KSU's milestone year when defensive lineman Travis Bell became KSU's first NFL Draft selection. The Chicago Bears took the Owl alumnus with the first pick of the seventh round.
The 2023-24 year saw KSU win an ASUN Conference-best five championships. The Owls won both the indoor and outdoor men's and women's track and field conference titles. KSU rallied on the final day to win the ASUN women's golf championship, while KSU baseball played for its second conference title in three years.
In addition to building on academic success with 72 spring and 15 fall graduates, KSU expanded its community service outreach with local schools, churches, campus organizations, and more.
An important step in the transition to CUSA was the inclusion of Athletics in The Campaign for Kennesaw State, where fundraising efforts for three facility projects will support the Owls in the FBS. Overton and campus leaders celebrated the future Mickey Dunn Stadium with a ceremony April 30.
Following a six-year stint as senior associate athletics director at the University of Alabama, and six years prior as associate athletics director at Texas A&M University, Overton was hired to lead Florida A&M Athletics in June 2015.
Overton guided a remarkable transformation at FAMU. By instilling a sense of accountability and fiscal responsibility, the Rattlers made monumental strides in the areas of fundraising and fan development. For the first time in more than decade, the athletics department boasted a balanced budget in 2016-17, while achieving three consecutive years of record-breaking fundraising and ticket-sales growth.
Florida A&M's revenue increased by $2 million under Overton's watch and fan participation has soared with the football team finishing among the top five in FCS attendance in 2015 and top three in 2016. One of his benchmark initiatives was the establishment of FAMU's giving program, "Investing in Champions," that was a key component of the increased revenue.
Thanks in part to Overton's emphasis on academics and NCAA compliance, FAMU boasted higher team grade point averages and increased APR scores across every sport. Under his watch, each Rattler team remained eligible for NCAA postseason competition for the first time in several years.
At Alabama from 2009 to 2015, Overton provided oversight for $25 million in budgets and equipment, while producing $6 million in new revenue-generation and cost-saving initiatives. He oversaw seven units, including the No. 1 trademark licensing program for intercollegiate athletics – Crimson Tide Productions – marketing and branding, outbound ticket sales, photography, coaches film video group, athletics information and event technology, track and field, and cross country.
As a member of Texas A&M's senior staff, he raised $250,000 for men's tennis facility upgrades and led the technology renovations and construction for several other facilities, including Kyle Field. He also provided oversight of seven TAMU sports programs.
Overton is a 2009 graduate of the National Collegiate Athletic Association's (NCAA) Pathway Program – formerly known as the NCAA's Fellows Leadership Development Program. The Pathway Program provides senior-level athletics administrators with a rigorous curriculum and mentorship for preparation on becoming a director of athletics. As a 2007-2008 NCAA Fellow, Overton participated in a yearlong, intensive learning opportunity for 12 selected senior leaders representing NCAA Divisions I, II, and III.
A four-year starter as an offensive lineman at the University of Oklahoma, Overton earned a bachelor's degree in sociology in 1995. He went on to earn two master's degrees from OU in 1998, one in higher education and administration and the other in human relations. Overton worked in academic services and as the CHAMPS/LifeSkills Coordinator for OU before joining the athletics department at Texas Christian University in 1999. Overton was director of academic support at TCU, where he also served as an adjunct professor.
Overton was the founder and CEO of Enki System Inc., from 2000-2011, which provided software solutions for athletic and academic support programs across the country, generating over $1 million in gross sales.
A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Overton has two sons, Micaiah and Lebbeus.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT OVERTON...
Eric Hyman, Former Director of Athletics, Texas A&M University
"Congratulations to President Olens, Board of Trustees and Kennesaw State University on selecting Milton Overton as your new Director of Athletics. Milton and I worked together at Texas Christian University to raise the level of academic achievement and retention among our 350 student-athletes. Milton's genuine commitment to the overall welfare of our student-athletes, his work ethic and innovative programs made a positive impact on the lives of our student-athletes. I have no doubt that Milton will make a positive contribution towards the success of Kennesaw State University."
Dave Hart, Former Director of Athletics, University of Tennessee and Florida State University
"Congratulations to President Olens and Kennesaw State University on the hiring of Milton Overton as Director of Athletics. Milton is a very bright, creative administrator who will prioritize the mission of the University while building upon the vision of the athletics department."
