On Monday, July 1, 2020, Tony O’Neal was named the Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at Claflin University. Since taking the reins, he has led Claflin University athletics to several new heights during his tenure.
It didn’t take long for O’Neal to make an impact with several athletic accomplishments from 2021-22. In the spring of 2021, the Claflin Lady Panthers softball team made their second appearance in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Tournament as the top team from the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) though the 2021 CIAA Softball season was suspended. The Lady Panthers returned with a vengeance during the 2022 season when the team claimed the first CIAA Championship in school history with the Lady Panthers defeating the Bowie State Bulldogs and returning to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Tournament. While at the tournament the Lady Panthers made an historic run, reaching the championship game of their regional. The team took a 3-2, 10-inning win over the Bloomsburg Huskies and a 5-2 win over the host Shippensburg Raiders to reach the championship game. The successes extended far beyond softball as Claflin sprinter Zoe Adams put on some dominating efforts in track & field. She was named the CIAA Women’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, and she was selected to compete in the 2022 NCAA Division II Women’s Indoor Track & Field National Championship Meet. During the outdoor track & field season, Claflin thrower Zaria Nelson qualified for the 2022 NCAA Division II Women’s Outdoor Track & Field National Championship Meet where she placed 11th and earned a United States Track & Field/Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Second-Team All-American honors. The Lady Panthers’ volleyball team also had one of their best seasons since joining the CIAA as the team finished the regular season ranked second in the CIAA Southern Division and reached the semifinal round of the 2021 CIAA Volleyball Championship.
The successes only continued in the 2022-23 athletic year. The successes were set up in the early summer when O’Neal hired Terrence Jenkins and Brion Dunlap as the head coaches of the Claflin women’s and men’s basketball teams respectively. The hirings sparked a resurgence for Claflin basketball with both teams going on the strong seasons. After both teams were picked in the bottom half of the CIAA, both teams responded with terrific seasons and proved the predictions wrong. During the 2022-23 season, the Panthers stormed out to a 10-1 start to the season and broke into the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Top 25 for the first time since 2018. After being picked to finish 11th in the CIAA preseason predicted order of finish, the Panthers finished the regular season with a 19-7 overall record with a 10-6 record in CIAA play. The team also finished as runners-up for the CIAA Southern Division title. The Lady Panthers had their own successes during the season as well. The Lady Panthers finished the 2022-23 regular season with the team’s most wins since the 2018-19 season. The Panthers’ men’s indoor track & field team made some history of their own when the team claimed the 2023 CIAA Men’s Indoor Track & Field Championship, the first men’s CIAA championship in school history. The track & field success continued when Claflin’s Jaevon Riley qualified for the 2023 NCAA Division II Men’s Outdoor Track & Field National Championship Meet. The Lady Panthers softball team also had another terrific season when the team reached their third straight CIAA Softball Championship Game and finished as the conference champion runners-up.
Under O’Neal’s guidance, the 2023-24 athletic year was another one filled with successes. The Panthers’ men’s track & field team had the most successful seasons as the men’s indoor track & field team won their second straight CIAA championship and finished second in the CIAA Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Championship Meet. The Panthers also had a pair of student-athletes named to the USTFCCCA All-American Team with Jaevon Riley earning first team honors while the Panthers’ 4x400m relay team earned second-team honors. Both Claflin University basketball teams recorded winning records for the first time since 2018. The Panthers finished the season with a 17-11 record and tied for first place in the CIAA Southern Division. The Lady Panthers finished the season with a 17-11 overall record and finished the regular season ranked second in the CIAA Southern Division, the team’s highest divisional finish since joining the CIAA. Once again, the Lady Panthers’ softball team also continued their dominant play, reaching their fourth straight CIAA Softball Championship game. After leading Claflin University to some historic moments, O’Neal was recognized as the 2023-24 CIAA Athletics Director of the Year.
With a wealth of experience on hand, O’Neal has been well prepared for the challenge of leading the Claflin University Department of Athletics. He spent 17 years in the athletics department at Bethune-Cookman University. Prior to taking the reins at Claflin, he spent the previous five years as the senior associate athletic director of facilities and strategic initiatives at BCU. O’Neal also served as the director of athletics at Savannah State University, managing the University’s 15 intercollegiate men’s and women’s athletic teams.
He has spent years participating in NCAA leadership programs. O'Neal was selected for the NCAA Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minority Males in 2002, and he completed the NCAA Fellows Leadership Development Program in 2003. O’Neal also spent years interpreting NCAA bylaws for Bethune-Cookman’s 17 sports.
O’Neal received his bachelor's degree in social welfare at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio and he earned his master’s degree in transformative leadership from Bethune-Cookman University. O'Neal and his wife, Bonnie, have six daughters and six grandchildren.
