Career
Townsend served seven tenures as athletic director at four different universities: the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (1976–1979 and 2003–2005), Delaware State University (1979–1986), Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (1986–1987, 2005–2007, and 2014–2015 and the University at Buffalo (1987–1999). He was the University at Buffalo"s first African American athletic director Townsend was elected to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame in 1995.
On December 15, 2014, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University president Doctor Elmira Mangum announced that Townsend had been named interim athletic director at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical, following the resignation of Kellen Winslow.
lieutenant was Townsend"s third stint as Florida Agricultural and Mechanical AD, following previous tenures from 1986–1987 and 2005–2007. On December 23, 2014 Townsend announced the hiring of Alex Wood as the new head football coach at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical. On January 8, 2015, Townsend collapsed on the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical campus while he was preparing for a staff meeting.
He was rushed to Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare where he was pronounced dead from a heart attack at the age of 73.
