Southern University shared the passing of former athletic director Floyd Kerr on Tuesday evening, Kerr was 76 years old.

Kerr helped guide the Jaguars through stadium renovations to Mumford Stadium as well as NCAA academic reforms on campus from 2000 to 2005.

Kerr was vital to Southern’s athletics fundraising as well, helping implement the first Jag-A-Thon. 

More information from Southern's release can be found below:

In 2004, Kerr was named one of the 101 Most Important Minorities in Sports by Sports Illustrated. He was selected for his role in revamping Southern’s athletics department by tightening operations and stressing academics, which led to a more than 50 percent increase in the student-athlete graduation rate. 

A native of Oxford, Mississippi, Kerr held bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Colorado State University. He was an All-American collegiate basketball player who was drafted by the Phoenix Suns (NBA), Utah Star (ABA), and Dallas Cowboys (NFL). Kerr was also an accomplished actor and visual artist. 

Kerr became the first Black person to serve on the coaching staff at his alma mater, Colorado State University, in 1974. Prior to his retirement in 2016, Kerr served as director of athletics at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland. Kerr was married to Vivian Kerr, director of museums for the Southern University System.