Terrell Elliston joined the Fishman Family Student-Athlete Enrichment Center (FFSAEC) in June 2021 and currently serves as the Assistant Director of Olympic Sports. With a strong background in student-athlete development and academic advising, Terrell brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the University of South Florida.
In his current position, he serves as the Academic Coordinator for track & field, cross country, and women's volleyball. His responsibilities encompass a range of tasks such as providing mentorship, advising on course selection, assisting with graduation planning, and monitoring NCAA progress-towards-degree requirements. Additionally, he holds a leadership position within the department, where he serves as the liaison for international student-athletes and oversees the lab supervisor staff. Furthermore, he is responsible for creating department-wide recruiting materials that showcase the accomplishments of the department and the university.
Prior to his current role, Terrell held the position of Assistant Director of Basketball Academics, where he played a vital role in supporting the academic success of South Florida's men's and women's basketball programs. In the 2021-22 academic year, both programs achieved perfect single-year APR scores. Under Terrell's guidance, the Fall 2021 semester saw remarkable achievements for both programs, with men's basketball achieving a semester GPA of 3.06 and women's basketball earning an impressive 3.56 semester GPA. These results mark the highest Fall semester GPAs achieved by both teams.
Terrell joined the University of South Florida after an impressive five-year tenure at the University of Mississippi (2016-21). During his time at the University of Mississippi, he held the role of Academic Counselor for track & field, cross country, and women's golf. Under his guidance, these programs achieved noteworthy academic success. Women's golf achieved a record-breaking 3.91 GPA during the Fall 2020 semester. Additionally, Women's track & field attained their highest semester GPA of 3.41 during the Fall 2019 semester, and men's track & field saw a record number of 19 student-athletes making the honor roll in the Fall 2016 semester. Terrell also managed the laptop program and facilitated GradesFirst communication for over 400 student-athletes.
Before heading to Mississippi, Terrell began his career in athletics academic support services at Savannah State University in 2014. He served as an Academic Advisor for both the men's and women's basketball programs, demonstrating his dedication to fostering academic success among student-athletes. In this role, Terrell organized and monitored academic activities within the athletics department, ensuring a streamlined and effective approach. Additionally, he coordinated and facilitated educational sessions for coaches, staff, and stakeholders. Moreover, Terrell carried out his responsibilities to ensure compliance with departmental, institutional, state, federal, NCAA, and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) guidelines.
A native of Bronx, New York, Terrell earned his bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he was a member of the men’s basketball program. Recognizing the value of continued education, he went on to achieve a master's degree in higher education/student personnel from the University of Mississippi.
Terrell holds an Individual Certification from the National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals (N4A) and has been a member of the organization since 2014. He is a 2017 graduate of N4A’s Professional Development Institute (PDI).
Terrell and his wife, Angel, have one daughter, Heaven.
