Thanks to every one for the love and well wishes!! It’s been a journey but I’m so fired up to be here! Now do me a favor, go follow
@vucommodores
!!
#AnchorDown
⚓️⬇️
This is what I call
#PureJoy
. The band is playing Candy (one of my favorite songs) & we just won the game. But seeing Ahman dance with his mom and then Jalen comes over and we just all dance. 💙💛
#CreatingLegacies
@ASUGoldenRamsFB
Thanks for capturing this moment, ASU MarComm!
3am PSA: Folks in decision making roles, if your SID is a one person shop, they’re not ok!! Unless you have 10 or less sports, THEY NEED HELP!! This profession will continue to lose good people due to burnout!
@CoSIDAnews
Shakira is 43 and JLo is 50! Can’t nam none of y’all move like that! They killed that performance. If you think otherwise, exit stage left!
#SuperBowlLIV
When friends become family.
@Coachreem4ever
is at home in St. Croix for a funeral. 😢
Me: Jareem, do you have a rental car?
Him: Yes!
Me: Can you go check on my mom and give her something for me?
Literally 15 minutes later!!
Y’all, Reem really is the best! 🤗 💜
#VIMassive
🇻🇮
Stop naming coaches to also serve as ADs. It’s a recipe for disaster. I understand those who were grandfathered in but in this day and age, it’s simply not possible to do both well. Something will suffer. Would you ask the president to serve as the Director of Housing?
#ijs
Yesterday was a whirlwind, but immense gratitude to
@VandyAD
for the chance to serve at
@vucommodores
.
Remember, people stay with you, even as you leave a job. Special thanks to all I've worked with in nearly three years, especially the AMAZING Hendrix Dining Staff! ❤️ 🤗
.
@vucommodores
, please join me in wishing our leader,
@VandyAD
,
a very happy birthday!! I’m blessed to work under her leadership every single day! She works tirelessly for Vanderbilt Athletics and has a laugh that can be heard a mile away! 😂
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Dr. Lee! 🎉🎊🎂
I literally just spoke to my mom. Hours later, she’s been hospitalized due to a stroke and I’ve traveled home to St. Croix. We don’t hide sickness in our family so I ask for fervent prayers! This is very difficult, especially during a global pandemic. 😢
Happy one year AD-versary to
@VandyAD
!!
I’m super proud to be a part of this team...at this moment...at Vanderbilt...under her leadership!!
She’s always celebrating everyone else so join me in saluting and celebrating Dr. Candice Lee!! 👏🏾
It just dawned on me that today is officially my two-year anniversary working at
@vucommodores
! It’s certainly been an AMAZING ride…and I’ve learned/grown so much! Here’s to many more years, graduates, championships and to making a difference! ⚓️ ⬇️
There are some people in athletics leadership who probably wishes this “thing” would go away as to not discomfort their boosters. You know who also wants this to go away? THE 👏🏾 PEOPLE 👏🏾 WHO 👏🏾 LIVE 👏🏾 IT 👏🏾 EVERYDAY 👏🏾!
Miss me with the foolishness! 😒
#ISaidWhatISaid
Again, not all pictured, but here are the real bosses! 👏🏾🙌🏾👊🏾The black women who serve as Athletic Directors across all three NCAA divisions, the NAIA and Junior Colleges. We’ve come a long way but we have a long way to go! Who’s Next?
@NACDA
@MOAADiversity1
#NACDA2019
❤️
Thank you to
@MSU_Athletics
VP and Director of Athletics
@halleral
and to
@MSU_Football
head coach
@Coach_mtucker
for being so welcoming and chatting with me! Professional Development in its best form - learning through interactions with others.
Here’s a Monday thought. If your senior administrative team...the decision makers...doesn’t look like the students you represent, please don’t say you’re committed to diversity and inclusion.
Let me be as clear as possible. There aren’t enough words to articulate the accuracy of the message being delivered in this video...and this doesn’t just apply to coaching. Take a listen!!
"People hire who they're comfortable with."
In a roundtable conversation with
@DawnStaley
,
@UBCoachJack
,
@CarolynPeck
and Vanessa Blair-Lewis,
@YolettMcCuin
suggests one reason why there are a lack of black female coaches in the NCAA.
Full conversation:
Today’s message: “Interest vs. Commitment!” Thank you to
@VandyFootball
and
@Coach_Lea
for allowing me to tell the team it’s “Time To Go Outside.” 🏃🏾♀️ 🏈 Highlight of my day (and career)!!
Stop sleeping on HBCUs! Fast is fast…PERIODT!! I worked at
@SAUFalcons
for nearly eight years. Multiple T&F Olympians were made at that tiny school. Olympic gold medal winning head coach. Many of those years, they didn’t have a track. They’ve won 40 national championships. 🤫
Yes, I’m a super proud mom. Many are called but few are chosen to play their sport on the collegiate level. It’s not as easy as it seems. Be proud whether you’re DI, II, III, NAIA, or JUCO!! Thank you,
@EnsworthTigers
for this signing day event!!
Let me 150,000% clear...my son is to address every adult as Mr., Ms., Coach (insert name). As an adult, I never call any of my mom’s friends, or my friends’ parents as anything but Mr. or Ms. My son’s friends are to address me/my husband as Mr. or Ms. It’s called respect folks!
Please know that Maya Angelou is trending nationally because there are some young folks who are offended that she directed a young woman to call her Ms. Angelou instead of Maya in a 20-year-old clip.
We are doomed.
Y’all, COVID is NOT a joke. We just lost one of my former students, my advisee, a student-athlete. She wasn’t even 30. Just graduated college four years ago! Lord have mercy!! My heart is broken! 💔 Rest in heaven, KK!! My condolences & prayers to her family & former teammates!
May I add in administrators as well? I work at a Division I Ivy League school and you can catch me ball shagging or being a basketball floor sweeper. Never get too big for your britches! The “grind” doesn’t end because you’ve advanced!
Thanks for sharing
@CoachTomParks
!
Witnessed a college head coach setting up concession stand and ticket table before game.
Resume:
21 years as Head Coach
Over 400 wins
Hall of Fame inductee
8X Conference Coach is the Year
8 Conference Championships
Young coaches - if you want this, be prepared to grind.
So much truth in this video and not just in coaching. I’m proud to be a native Virgin Islander, HBCU graduate, and now
@IvyLeague
Senior Administrator. We must continue to shatter the glass ceiling and I want to continue to help advance young women of color.
@WomenLeadersCS
”Black women in coaching positions are held to higher standards — especially because there are so few opportunities."
@DawnStaley
wants more black female coaches to get their shot in the NCAA.
📝:
Being one of less than 30 black female ADs throughout 1,200+ NCAA institutions, I completely understand the need to keep fighting...not for myself but for so many young women out there who look like me&has a desire to ascend into this role. Thank you Coach Legette-Jack.
#WellSaid
Those who know...KNOW!! I’ve been busy but I’m super proud to have been asked to be on the leadership team charged with reactivating the Pi Theta Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. on the campus of Dartmouth College!
#Auspicious13
❤️
@dstinc1913
It’s Friday, so I’m just going to put this out there. If you don’t have a single person of color on your executive/senior administrative team, then you ARE NOT committed to diversity & inclusion. I’m a firm believer that your decision makers should reflect the students you serve.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but the
@NCAA
doesn’t require a diversity & inclusion officer in athletics. Now is the time, along with the necessary resources and required programming to support it!
#ActionNotWords
I’m so excited for my Soror
@CandiceLee78
!! Will y’all listen to me when I say
@dstinc1913
women run college athletics? Congrats Candice!!
Lee Named Athletic Director – Vanderbilt University Athletics – Official Athletics Website
Hello!! Anyone interested in working with me (and the AD)? 😂 Seriously though, we are looking for a strategic thinker/communicator to provide executive level support. This is NOT an Admin Asst role at all. Exp. in a college athletics dept is preferred.
Congratulations to the LEAD1 Diversity Fellowship Class of 2022-23.
"We look forward to collaborating with some of the brightest stars in our industry and helping shine a spotlight on their talents"
Read the release here:
I don’t know who the photo credit goes to but please understand, this is how BGLOs get down! We are all sisters...just in different colors!! Shoutout to my sorors of
@dstinc1913
🔺🐘 ❤️
#StrollToThePolls
Mom Update: We were able to get her off island (PRAISES)! Anyone who knows my mom knows that she hates to fly. She handled it like the boss she is. She insisted I paint her nails and toes for travel. 💅🏾
We now begin with follow-up appointments and a complete/thorough work-up.
I had a coach once tell me there aren’t any black softball players out there. (Mind you, I was a softball player). 🙄 Odicci Alexander, as a pitcher, and countless others are saying: “watch me work.” Like DEI efforts, if you look hard enough, they’re out there. 🥎
#OkBye
It’s my one year Vandy-versary!! I’m blessed and highly favored! Here’s to many more years! THANK YOU,
@VandyAD
, for the opportunity and I look forward to lots more team photo shoots! 😂
Mom/Veteran Collegiate Athletics Administrator Disclaimer:
Stop teaching your kids that it’s DI or bust! It’s great to have aspirations and goals but there are 1,000+ other NCAA or NAIA institutions to choose from!
The Dartmouth Athletics Department welcomes
@Dr_K_Kelly
to the Big Green family as the new senior associate athletics director and SWA!
#GBG
#IvyLeague
Mom Update: she was discharged yesterday. She’s getting stronger since she’s been home but she still needs medical attention. Our next step is to get her off island as healthcare is limited here! THANK YOU for all of your prayers but please keep them coming. She’s a strong woman!
One of the things I enjoy about this profession but particularly at
@vucommodores
& under the leadership of
@VandyAD
, is the culture of belonging. The ability to be present as my son had his first in-game collegiate dunk & for him to accompany me on a WBB trip to 🇲🇽 = priceless!
I've seen several job postings lately advertising for a "Senior Woman Administrator." While I am ecstatic to see schools actively attempting to hire women, I'm pretty sure that is a violation of EEOC federal guidelines. Additionally, the SWA is a designation...not a job.
I love celebrating other people. It’s hard for me to accept people celebrating me. Today I was honored as the 2020 US Sports Academy Alumna of the Year. Presented by UT AD Emerita - Joan Cronan. Shoutout to
@VandyBoys
Skipper himself,
@TimCorbin
!
Today was a great day!!
My shirt says: “Be a nice human!” Instead of sending that email because you’re upset about something that won’t matter in five years, how about you send an email giving someone something to smile about today? Did someone do something nice for you, tell ‘em.Tell their boss too. 😉
Proud Mom/AD Moment. This is the first time in Jonathan’s college career that I’ve been able to attend an Honors Day Ceremony for him! This is so much more than a job for me! Father, I THANK YOU! 3.62 GPA. 💙💛
This is how intently I was listening to
@VandyAD
announce our $300 million
#VandyUnited
major facilities and operational enhancements plan. Renderings to be released this summer and the first shovel hits the dirt after the 2021 football season!
1/2 UNPOPULAR TWEET DISCLAIMER: To leaders and those of managerial authority, don’t wait until your employee has another job offer to throw everything but the kitchen sink at them. Develop & help grow them while they’re there. Show them that they’re valued.
Five years ago today, I successfully defended my dissertation and became Dr. Kristene Kelly. My friends stayed the entire 2.5 hours with me, brought me water for my dry throat & encouraged me! It took me five years & 357 days to complete this degree...but it’s Ed.Done! 🙌🏾 📜 👩🏾🎓
Super happy for
@Tiffani_Sykes
and
@DrKKelly
. Both these women have gone from student-athletes to SIDs in the
@CIAAForLife
and now they are in championship games their first years as ADs at HBCUs. Gotta love it.
My cup was REFILLED from
@WomenLeadersCS
! So much positivity, encouragement, advice, networking, love, passion, reflection and support. I’m so glad over 1,000 sisters in this amazing profession we call college athletics were able to share in this remarkable experience!!
(1/3) I am honored to share that I will be joining this esteemed panel of speakers for the USA Basketball Foundation Torch Leadership Program!
Join me on December 15th at 1pm as we dive into insightful discussions with sports industry leaders.
Best call of the day - your Mammogram results are NORMAL! That’s a privilege (health insurance) and a blessing (normal results) I don’t take lightly! Can I get an Amen?
I love this photo…particularly because it accurately depicts that
@tmcclelland
and I along with
@VandyAD
’s hubby have her front, back, and sides covered in all ways!! It also shows the genuine love and support we have for
@Coach_Lea
!
For the record, I hit the sled today too! I do have a year of eligibility left.
#ijs
😂 💪🏾
On a serious note, I tip my hat to our players, coaches, staff, and a special shoutout to the equipment staff. I knew it’s a lot of equipment but 😅!
@VandyFootball
@Coach_Lea
My 78-year old mom just called me in tears. She said she never thought the day would come (in her lifetime) where she would see a black male POTUS and a black female V-POTUS!
For context, her early 20s were spent during segregation. This one is for people like my mom!
#GodDidIt
Shoutout to
@AmherstMammoths
for hiring not one, not two, but three head coaches of color over the last couple months! Volleyball, Men’s Lacrosse, and Men’s Basketball. If you don’t know anything about Amherst, they’re like the Ivy League of
@NCAADIII
! Kudos to
@AmherstCollege
!
How many people in athletics leadership are willing to make their older, generational wealth donors/boosters uncomfortable and have these tough conversations? Or are the black/brown athletes only good enough for those few hours on the football field or basketball court?
#ijs
Texas football coach Tom Herman said he empathizes with black student-athletes and the double standard that he says fans have regarding them: If you're going to cheer for players of color on the field, that feeling shouldn't change once they're off.
Finishing up college tours with
@JonKelly2021
and look what the final tour brought? I’m forever grateful to
@JCSUniversity
for my 10 1/2 years (4 as a student, 6 1/2 as an employee) of wonderful memories. This was an AMAZING surprise!
When your momma is a former SID, you’re gonna get all angles. I’m glad I can still squat without hearing cracks in my knees. 😂
#Prom2021
#CameraPhonePhotography
Y’all, I’m tired so I don’t have many words but what grit this team displayed. I’m so proud of head coach
@CoachQGray
and the
@ASUGoldenRamsFB
team/staff! Fountain City Classic Champions baby!!
@fccmagic
When we needed folks to step up to help us to pull this
@VandyWBB
game off (snowstorm),
@KiaraMayo16
jumped right in! Her “regular” internship is with
@VandyFBEQ
but tonight, she’s our Timeout Coordinator! Tweeps, help me say THANK YOU to Mayo!!
These six Deltas graduated today and are now Ivy League grads!! I’m so proud of them and honored to have served as one of their advisors along with
@Leslidst
&
@Tiffani_Sykes
!! Three of the six were a part of our reactivation line in 2019.
@easternregdst
@dstinc1913
@pithetadst
Having to leave my mom was super hard. Though I can say she looks 100 times better than when I saw her on NYE! Thank goodness for FaceTime! God, I THANK YOU!!
Keep the prayers coming for her complete healing! 🙏🏾
My son played his final high school basketball game tonight. A loss. 😔
In a year of twists and turns, a move, new school, new team etc etc, I couldn’t be more proud of
@JonKelly2021
! This photo was from Tuesdays game when they won...hence the smile! Show him some love!
Random Wednesday morning thought. One day it will be common place to include women in “names to watch” for AD jobs. Particularly when someone on the board says: “you have to find a football guy for this job.” 🤦🏾♀️
Until then, keep pushing ladies! ✌🏾
One thing I neglected to mention is that
@dsheff_21
came with me to my speaking engagement. He’s an Ensworth alum C/O 2015, and also a double Dore C/O 2019 and 2021. He’s now an Assistant Director of HR in athletics with us! He is Black History!
#BlackHistoryMonth