Tess Abbott joined the South Carolina State University Bulldog football staff on July 1, 2025, as the Director of Recruiting, becoming the first female in program history to serve on the football staff.
In her role, she will lead all aspects of the Bulldogs’ recruiting strategy, including the coordination and execution of official and unofficial visits, talent evaluation processes, and recruiting operations both on-and off-campus.
Before arriving at South Carolina State, Abbott served as the Director of On-Campus Recruiting and Administrative Operations for UMass Football, where she managed all on-campus recruiting events, oversaw team operations and logistics, and executed administrative tasks and projects.
Her professional background also includes a role as Community Relations and Social Media Coordinator for her hometown professional baseball team, the High Point Rockers.
Abbott holds a master’s degree in Sport Management from Coastal Carolina University, where she also served as a fitness graduate assistant and interned with Coastal Carolina Football in player personnel and operations.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in Sport Management from Western Michigan University, with a double minor in Event Management and General Business.
A former student-athlete, Abbott competed on the Western Michigan University gymnastics team and served as a student assistant coach her senior year. Abbott was recognized as a NCAA Ethnic Minority Graduate Scholarship recipient and served as the Athletic Administrative and Diversity Intern for WMU athletics department in 2022.
Abbott is committed to advancing recruiting efforts through strategic planning, relationship development, and operational excellence while upholding the tradition, discipline, and championship standard of SC State Bulldog football.
