On November 7, 2007 Johnson C. Smith University athletics director, Steve Joyner, Sr. announced the hiring of Lennox Graham as the new head men's and women's cross country and track and field coach. Graham also serves as the Irwin Belk Complex stadium manager.
Coach Graham brought to the university 14 years of international coaching experience at the junior and senior level in Jamaica, which resulted in six national high school championship titles at Kingston College (High School) in Kingston, Jamaica. He has coached many individual/relay champions at the Jamaican high school, Caribbean Free Trade Association (CARIFTA), Central American and Caribbean (CAC), North American Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) championships, Penn Relays, and Pan American Junior Championships levels. Since leading the Golden Bulls track and field program at Johnson C. Smith University, Coach Graham has added medalists, all-conference, all-region, and/or All-Americans at the CIAA, NACAC, Junior Pan-American Championships, Penn Relays, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), World University Games, and the IAAF World Championships in Athletics levels. In 8 seasons his athletes have achieved 164 All American awards. At the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, China coach Graham coached two siblings to the 100m hurdle final – a first for female siblings in the history of the Championships. His athlete Danielle Williams won the event in 12.58 seconds with her sister Shermaine Williams placing 7th in 12.91 seconds.
Graham is a 1984 graduate of Alabama State University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Business Administration majoring in Computer Information Systems. He earned his Master’s in Business Administration from The University of New Orleans in 2006. He is currently a certified IAAF Level 5 Elite coach specializing in sprints and hurdles. As a student-athlete at Alabama State University, Graham competed as a sprinter/hurdler for the ASU hornets from 1984 to 1987. He was the top sprint/hurdler all four years. He earned the Most Academic (1985-87), Most Outstanding Hurdler (1984-85), and the Most Valuable Runner (1986-87) awards while competing for the Hornets. He also garnered the George Hubert Lockhart Award for overall excellence in sports across varsity sports at ASU (1987).
Coach Graham has coached in several international events including:
• 2016 Olympic Games (Rio de Janiero, Brasil)
• 2015 World Championships in Athletics (Beijing, China)
• 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland
• 2013 World Championships in Athletics (Moscow, Russia)
• 2011 World Championships in Athletics (Daegu, South Korea)
• 2009 Central American and Caribbean senior team (Havana, Cuba)
• 2007 Pan American Senior Championship (Rio De Janeiro, Brazil)
• 2006 Presenter, Sprint Clinic in Kuala Lumpur, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu Malaysia, December
• 2005 Central American and Caribbean senior team
• 2003 Central American and Caribbean senior team
• 2002 Jamaica's World Junior Championships (Kingston)
• 2002 Jamaica's Junior Central American and Caribbean team (Barbados)
• 2000 Jamaica's Junior Central American and Caribbean team to Puerto Rico - Head Coach
• 1998 Jamaica's CARIFTA Team to Trinidad
Since his appointment to Johnson C. Smith University Coach Graham has transformed the JCSU track and field program having immediate impact at the CIAA, NCAA and international levels with the following achievements:
COACH’S AWARDS:Â
• 2015-16 Atlantic Region Women’s Track and Field Head Coach of the Year
• 2015-16 CIAA Outdoor Women’s Track and Field Head Coach of the Year
• 2013-2014 CIAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year
• 2013-2014 CIAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year
• 2012-2013 USTFCCCA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field National Coach of the Year (First in JCSU history)
• 2012-2013 USTFCCCA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year (Atlantic Region)
• 2012-2013 USTFCCCA Women’s Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year (Atlantic Region)
• 2012-2013 CIAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year
• 2012-2013 CIAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year
• 2011-2012 CIAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year
• 2010-2011 CIAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year
• 2009-2010 CIAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field Coach of the Year
• 2008-2009 CIAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Coach of the Year
TEAM ACADEMIC PERFORMANCES:
• USTFCCCA All Academic (GPA) female team in division II at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships
• USTFCCCA All Academic (GPA) male team in division II at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships
• USTFCCCA All Academic (GPA) female team in division II at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships
• USTFCCCA All Academic (GPA) male team in division II at the 2015 NCAA Outdoor Championships
• USTFCCCA All Academic (GPA) female team in division II at the 2014 NCAA Outdoor Championships
• USTFCCCA All Academic (GPA) male team in division II at the 2014 NCAA Outdoor Championships
• USTFCCCA 1st ranked academic (GPA) male team in division II at the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Championships
• USTFCCCA female scholar team of the year in division II at the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Championships
• USTFCCCA 4th ranked academic (GPA) male team in division II at the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Championships
• USTFCCCA 3rd ranked academic (GPA) female team in division II at the 2012 NCAA Outdoor Championships
• USTFCCCA 1st ranked academic (GPA) male team in division II at the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Championships
• USTFCCCA 2nd ranked academic (GPA) female team in division II at the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Championships
• USTFCCCA 2nd ranked academic (GPA) male team in division II at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships
• USTFCCCA 3rd ranked academic (GPA) female team in division II at the 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships
WOMEN’S TEAM PERFORMANCES:
• 2016 CIAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Champion Team
• 2015 CIAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field 3rd place team
• 2014 CIAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Champion Team
• 2013 CIAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Champion Team
• 2012 CIAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field 2nd place team
• 2011 CIAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Champion Team (First in JCSU History)
• 2010 CIAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field 3rd place team
• 2009 CIAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field 3rd place team
• 2008 CIAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field 5th place team
• 2016 CIAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field 2nd place team
• 2015 CIAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field 3rd place team
• 2014 CIAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field 3rd place team
• 2013 CIAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field 3rd place team
• 2012 CIAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field 2nd place team
• 2011 CIAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field 2nd place team
• 2010 CIAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field 2nd place team
• 2009 CIAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field 4th place team
• 2008 CIAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field 4th place team
• 2016 NCAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field 6th place team
• 2014 NCAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field 2nd place team
• 2013 NCAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field 2nd place team
• 2012 NCAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field 13th place team
• 2011 NCAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field 4th place team
• 2010 NCAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field 10th place team
• 2009 NCAA Women’s Outdoor Track and Field 10th place team
• 2016 NCAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field 7th place team
• 2015 NCAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field 19th place team
• 2014 NCAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field 2nd place team
• 2013 NCAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field 7th place team
• 2012 NCAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field 7th place team
• 2011 NCAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field 7th place team
• 2010 NCAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field 8th place team
• 2009 NCAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field 13th place team
• 2008 NCAA Women’s Indoor Track and Field 17th place team
MEN’S TEAM PERFORMANCES:
• 2016 CIAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field 4th place team
• 2015 CIAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field 3rd place team
• 2014 CIAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field 4th place team
• 2013 CIAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field 4th place team
• 2012 CIAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field 3rd place team
. 2011 CIAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field 2nd place team
. 2010 CIAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field 2nd place team
. 2009 CIAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field 4th place team
. 2008 CIAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field 5th place team
• 2015 CIAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field 5th place team
• 2014 CIAA Men’s Indoor Track and Field 4th place team
• 2012 CIAA Men’s Indoor Track and Field 4th place team
• 2011 CIAA Men’s Indoor Track and Field 4th place team
• 2010 CIAA Men’s Indoor Track and Field 4th place team
• 2009 CIAA Men’s Indoor Track and Field 5th place team
• 2008 CIAA Men’s Indoor Track and Field 5th place team
• 2016 NCAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field 21st place team
• 2015 NCAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field 11th place team
• 2014 NCAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field 27th place team
• 2013 NCAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field 17th place team
• 2012 NCAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field 14th place team
• 2011 NCAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field 6th place team
• 2010 NCAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field 11th place team
• 2009 NCAA Men’s Outdoor Track and Field 16th place team
• 2016 NCAA Men’s Indoor Track and Field 16th place team
• 2015 NCAA Men’s Indoor Track and Field 19th place team
• 2014 NCAA Men’s Indoor Track and Field 15th place team
• 2013 NCAA Men’s Indoor Track and Field 15th place team
• 2012 NCAA Men’s Indoor Track and Field 12th place team
• 2011 NCAA Men’s Indoor Track and Field 11th place team
• 2010 NCAA Men’s Indoor Track and Field 10th place team
• 2009 NCAA Men’s Indoor Track and Field 26th place team
• 2008 NCAA Men’s Indoor Track and Field 18th place team
ATHLETE PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS:
• 2016 Olympic Games 100m hurdles semi-finalist - Shermaine Williams (9th best)
• 2015 World Champion - 100m hurdles (Danielle Williams)
• 2015 World University Games Champion - 100m hurdles (Danielle Williams)
• 2015 World Championships 7th place 100m hurdles (Shermaine Williams)
• 2015 World Championships 400m hurdles semi-finalist (Leford Green)
• 2014 Pan Am Festival 100m hurdles 2nd place (Shermaine Williams)
• 2014 Commonwealth Games 4th place 100m hurdles (Danielle Williams)
• 2014 championship record women 4x100m - Commonwealth Games, Glasgow, Scotland
• 2013 Jamaican National record and championship record women 4x100m - IAAF World Championships in Athletics, Moscow, Russia
• 2013 Jamaican National Champion 100m hurdles (Danielle Williams)
• 2010-2013 Jamaican National Champion 400m hurdles (Leford Green)
• 2013 World Championships 100m hurdles semi-finalist (Shermaine Williams)
• 2013 World Championships 100m hurdles semi-finalist (Danielle Williams)
• 2013 World Championships 400m hurdles semi-finalist (Leford Green)
• 2013 World University Games bronze medalist (Danielle Williams)
• 2012 Olympic Games finalist 400m hurdles 7th (Leford Green)
• 2012 Olympic Games 100m hurdles semi-finalist - Shermaine Williams
• 2011 World Championships 400m hurdles semi-finalist (Leford Green)
• 2011 World University Games 100m hurdles semi-finalist - Shermaine Williams
• 2011 Junior Pan American Junior Championships 2nd place 100m hurdles and 4x100m - Danielle Williams
• 2010 Caribbean and Central American Champion 400m hurdles – Leford Green
• 2010 World ranked 400m hurdler (10th best time in the world) – Leford Green
• 2010 NACAC U23 double medalist in 100m hurdles (3rd)and 4x100m (2nd) - Rosemarie Carty
• 2009 Pan Am Junior Championships 1st and 2nd place 100m hurdles - Shermaine Williams, Rosemarie Carty
• 2009 World Championship representative – Leford Green
• 2008 World Junior Championship 2nd place 100m hurdles – Shermaine Williams
COMBINED MEN’S and WOMEN’S TEAMS:
• 25 NCAA national indoor/outdoor Champions  2008 (2), 2009 (2), 2010 (2), 2011 (5), 2012 (1), 2013 (5), 2014 (7), 2015 (1)
• 5 NCAA Division II national records Women’s 60m Hurdles – 2008 & 2009;   Women 200m, 400m hurdles, 4x100m - 2013
• 2nd best ever time by a 400m hurdler in division II history (Leford Green 48.67 in 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championship)
• 164 All-American Awards in indoor and outdoor track and field
Coach Graham and his wife Valrie (Instructional Coordinating Teacher - Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools), have three children – Richard (PhD studies NC State University), Brian (college junior NC State University), and Xonnel (college freshman Appalachian State University)
