The HBCU group is mourning the lack of a legend. Morehouse School has introduced the passing of Thomas Wells, affectionately generally known as T.J., a longtime assistant coach and proud alumnus. Wells was a key determine within the success of Morehouse’s monitor and discipline and cross-country applications for almost 40 years.
Coach Wells graduated from Morehouse in 1974. He was a two-sport athlete who performed soccer and ran monitor. In 1987, he returned to campus as a coach. His vitality, ardour, and management helped form generations of Maroon Tigers.
A Championship Legacy in HBCU Athletics
Coach Wells labored intently with Head Coach Willie Hill to construct one of the dominant applications in HBCU historical past. Collectively, they led Morehouse to 38 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Convention (SIAC) championships. These titles spanned cross-country, indoor monitor, and outside monitor and discipline.
Wells’ most up-to-date achievement got here in February 2025. The Maroon Tigers gained the first-ever SIAC Indoor Monitor & Area Championship. That victory adopted the 2024 SIAC Cross Nation title. Underneath his management, Morehouse produced quite a few All-SIAC athletes, NCAA qualifiers, and scholar leaders.
A Mentor and True Morehouse Man
“T.J. Wells was greater than a coach—he was a cornerstone of our program,” mentioned Athletic Director Harold Ellis. “He shared a imaginative and prescient for excellence that went past medals and trophies.”
Coach Willie Hill added, “Anyone can reside. Nobody can reside giving like Coach Wells. He was a real giver of life.”
Wells mentored younger males with self-discipline, love, and goal. His affect reached past athletics. He constructed a tradition rooted in integrity, teamwork, and repair. That tradition nonetheless defines Morehouse athletics right now.
A Life Devoted to Service
Along with teaching, Wells served his group. From 1973 to 1998, he labored as a Middle Director for the Metropolis of Atlanta Division of Parks and Recreation. He additionally volunteered with Scouting America, mentoring youth throughout Atlanta.
Coach Wells lived with humility, dedication, and a perception within the energy of training and sport. His dedication to Morehouse and the HBCU custom was unmatched.
An Enduring Legacy within the HBCU World
Wells gave 38 years to Morehouse. In that point, he touched hundreds of lives. His gamers keep in mind him not only for wins, however for knowledge and coronary heart.
Morehouse School will announce memorial particulars within the coming days. The group extends its deepest condolences to the Wells household, former athletes, and all who knew him.
Thomas Wells was a pacesetter, a mentor, and a proud Morehouse Man. His legacy will reside on via each athlete he impressed—and thru each HBCU program that strives for excellence.
