Tara A. Owens serves as the Vice President of Athletics & Recreation at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Owens was elevated to Vice President in July of 2023. She was originally hired at UMES in September of 2022 as the Director of Athletics.
Prior to UMES, Owens spent four years as the Director of Athletics at Central State University.
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During her time at CSU, Owens saw student athlete growth by 110% and secured $2.5 million in funding for renovations to athletic facilities.
CSU thrived under Owen’s leadership. Despite the pandemic, CSU received continued philanthropic support of all sport programs and auxiliary units. Owens was crucial in securing funding and providing planning and management to multiple facility upgrades to McPherson Memorial Stadium, Beacom/Lewis Gymnasium and Walker Gymnasium.
Owens also implemented a variety of improvements to the Department of Athletics overall staffing as well as promoting efficient and sustainable protocols and practices.
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She led a realignment of the athletic department to enhance staffing and programming dedicated to student-athlete health, well-being, sports performance and leadership development. The realignment included the hiring process in identifying five new head coaches and adding additional assistant coaching, academic services, and athletic training positions.
At CSU, Owens also increased student-athlete engagement in both department policy decisions and university committee projects and teams. Under Owens, CSU athletics created an academic center dedicated specifically to student-athletes and hired the department’s first student-athlete academic coordinator.
Prior to accepting the position at CSU, Owens spent eight years serving as the athletic director at Baltimore City Community College (BCCC). As the athletic director, Owens was responsible for managing all aspects of BCCC’s athletic program which included business operations, staff development, compliance, recruiting strategy, scholarship allocation, scheduling, marketing, and fundraising.
Beginning in the 2013 season, Owens also served as BCCC’s head women’s basketball coach. Owens was named the Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference Coach of the Year as she compiled an overall record of 22-8 and an 11-1 record in the conference to win the 2017-18 regular-season conference championship. In five seasons at BCCC, Owens compiled an overall record of 104-46.
Before going to BCCC, Owens spent two seasons (2007-09) as the head women’s basketball coach at Norfolk State University (NSU) in Norfolk, Va.
Prior to NSU, Owens served as the head coach at Elizabeth City State University for three seasons, compiling a 58-31 record and leading the Lady Vikings to the finals of the CIAA Tournament on two occasions (2005, 2007).
In 2006-07, Owens led ECSU to a 21-10 record, one of two 20-win seasons during her three-year tenure. After falling to North Carolina Central in the CIAA Tournament championship game, the Lady Vikings earned an at-large berth to the NCAA South Atlantic Regional.
Owens began her coaching career at NCAA Division II program Cheyney (Pa.) University. She served as an assistant coach for two seasons prior to taking over as head coach from 1998-2004. At Cheyney, Owens also held the title of senior woman administrator and project administrator/activity director for the National Youth Sports Program (NYSP).
A 1993 graduate of Virginia State University (VSU), Owens played for the Trojans from 1988-1991. She received her bachelor’s degree from VSU in physical education/health and completed her master’s degree in administration and supervision at Cheyney University in 1998.
Owens holds memberships in the National Association of Female Executives, Women's Basketball Coaches Association and the Black Coaches Association. She is also one of 13 members serving on the NCAA Women's Basketball Rules Committee.
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