Jeffery B. Hughes, a native of Chester, South Carolina, serves as Professor and Head Men’s and Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field Coach at Voorhees University. A transformational leader within the department, Hughes was honored in 2023 as the Inaugural Coach of the Year at Voorhees. In 2024, he was inducted into the Voorhees University Inaugural Athletics Hall of Fame class, recognizing his lasting impact on the institution’s athletic legacy.
Hughes holds degrees from South Carolina State University, the United States Sports Academy, and Voorhees University, combining academic excellence with elite-level coaching expertise.
Under his leadership, the cross country and track & field programs have reached unprecedented heights. Hughes has coached more than 100 national qualifiers across cross country, indoor track & field, and outdoor track & field. He is the only coach in South Carolina history to produce national champions on multiple collegiate campuses — mentoring Treavor Hemphill (400 meters, Claflin University) and Michael Tatnall (Triple Jump, Voorhees University) to national titles. Throughout his career, he has coached numerous All-Americans.
A highly decorated coach, Hughes is a ten-time collegiate Conference Coach of the Year, seven-time collegiate Regional Coach of the Year, and a four-time finalist for National Coach of the Year (combined tenure at Claflin and Voorhees). Among his historic milestones at Voorhees, he coached the university’s first Penn Relays champion in the triple jump and the program’s first Eastern Region champion in the men’s 4x400-meter relay.
Hughes’ unwavering commitment to excellence continues to elevate Voorhees University’s cross country and track & field programs, building a championship culture while inspiring future generations of student-athletes.
He is the proud father of Timothy and Talisa and a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.
