COLLEGE PARK, MD - Maryland Athletics Hall of Famer, USA Track & Field Hall of Famer and Super Bowl Champion Renaldo Nehemiah '81 has been named the Executive Director of the M Club by Jim Smith, the Barry P. Gossett Director of Athletics, and the M Club Board of Directors. Nehemiah will be charged with leading the day-to-day operations of the M Club and elevating Maryland Athletics' holistic letterwinner strategy. The role includes maximizing engagement and collaboration with former letterwinners and coordinating closely with Jim Smith, Senior Associate Athletic Director/Chief Development Officer, Kirby Mills, and the M Club Board of Directors on supporting initiatives focused on former Terrapins. 

"We are thrilled to welcome Renaldo back to College Park as the Executive Director of the M Club," said Smith. "Having a proud Terp in this role is so important, and Renaldo's unique experiences on the world's stage and here in our local community will serve him — and our letterwinners — incredibly well. He embodies the pride, tradition, and excellence of Maryland Athletics and the M Club, and we know he will help strengthen the connection between our past, present, and future Terps."

"The M Club has been a constant support system for both letterwinners and Maryland Athletics for over a century and Renaldo is the right person at the right time to carry on the M Club tradition and continue our forward momentum," said Megan Davey '04, President of the M Club Board of Directors.  Nehemiah, who was inducted into the University of Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998, is a longstanding member of the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame Committee, which is charged with reviewing nominations and selecting inductees. He has served on the Terrapin Club Board of Directors on two different occasions, including as Vice President and more recently, as a general board member. Nehemiah also served on a football coach search committee for Maryland Athletics. He is a current Terrapin Club donor and a Lifetime Member of the M Club, and a current football and men's basketball season ticket holder. 

"I am truly honored to serve as Executive Director of the M Club," said Nehemiah. "Maryland has given me so much, and I take great pride in the opportunity to continue to give back, by supporting and connecting our incredible community of letterwinners across all sports. Together, we will celebrate our history, strengthen our bonds and ensure Maryland Athletics and the M Club continue to thrive."



Nehemiah's legendary career began as a star track and field athlete at Maryland from 1977-81. He specialized in the 110-meter hurdles and was ranked No. 1 in the world for four straight years and is a former world record holder. He went on to play with the San Francisco 49ers from 1982-85 before returning to world competition in track and field from 1986-91. After retiring from competition, he worked in sports management. 

In addition to the Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame, Nehemiah was inducted into the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Collegiate Athlete Track and Field and Cross Country Hall of Fame as part of the 2023 class. 

Nehemiah was dominant from the onset of his Maryland career, winning the 70m Indoor NCAA title as a freshman, where he ran a then record of 7.11 seconds. In his next season with the Terps, Nehemiah put not just the nation, but the world on notice when he ran a world record 110 hurdles time at the 1979 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships, becoming the first man to run the 110 hurdles in 13 seconds or less with a time of 13 seconds flat, he ran a 12.93 in 1981. His time in the event stood as the NCAA record up until 2019. Over his career as a Terrapin, Nehemiah earned five NCAA All-American honors, including one as a part of the 4x400 team, and three NCAA titles in the hurdles. Nehemiah also won four ACC titles, including two in the 100m, and one each in the 60m and 200m. 

Nehemiah was a member of the 1980 United States Olympic team, which did not participate in the games in Russia due to America's boycott of the games. Despite never playing football in college, Nehemiah signed with the 49ers prior to the 1982 season and played three seasons in the NFL, winning Super Bowl XIX in 1985. 

Following his competitive track and field career, Nehemiah served as Director of Track & Field Worldwide for Octagon, Inc. for more than 12 years. Since 2011, he has served as President of Athletics Promotions Ltd., a sports management and marketing agency. His clients have included numerous professional athletes and Olympians.

Nicknamed "Skeets," Nehemiah graduated from Maryland with a Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism in 1981. He and his wife, Lynn currently reside in Silver Spring, Maryland. The couple has four children in their family. 

The M Club is an affiliated entity of the University of Maryland College Park and operates as an independent non-profit organization. Founded in 1923, the M Club is the 4th longest active letterwinner organization in the country and has been dedicated for more than 100 years to empowering and uplifting University of Maryland student-athletes and letterwinners. Its more than 1,000 dues-paying letterwinner members continue to foster a growing community of Athletes Helping Athletes. For those interested in getting involved, please email mclub@umd.edu