Breaking Through “The Black Ceiling” In Major College Athletics

With a background as a student-athlete, coach and administrator, Williams’ approach to leading Virginia is forward thinking. Her focus is on providing opportunities for student-athletes to maximize their college experience while establishing a culture and support system for the sport programs to compete for championships. Above all, her commitment to academic excellence is unwavering.

Gene Smith is in his 13th year as director of athletics at The Ohio State University. He is widely recognized among the leaders of his profession and has been named “one of the most powerful people in collegiate sport.” Smith was named the Buckeyes’ director of athletics March 5, 2005 and was elevated to senior vice president and Wolfe Foundation endowed athletics director in May of 2016.

Lee is Vanderbilt’s first female athletic director and the first African American woman to head an SEC athletics program. Lee has served as an integral leader at the university and in Athletics for almost 20 years, most recently serving as deputy director of the program, a role she was appointed to in 2016.

Martin Jarmond joined Boston College in June 2017 as the William V. Campbell Director of Athletics and has made an immediate impact at The Heights. Jarmond’s leadership has helped change the climate and culture in and around Boston College Athletics as his positive energy and passion has helped drive the Eagles’ momentum on and off the field.

Damon Evans was named the Director of Athletics for the University of Maryland on June 25, 2018. He oversees a department with 20 varsity sports and 500 student-athletes, a full-time staff of over 200, and an annual budget of $95 million. 

Manuel's return to Ann Arbor brings him full-circle from an accomplished student-athlete and athletic administrator at U-M to a distinguished career as an athletic director and back again. A three-time Michigan alumnus and two-sport athlete who played football under Bo Schembechler, Manuel returned to U-M following a nearly four-year run as director of athletics at the University of Connecticut.

One of the youngest athletics directors in the NCAA power five ranks, Greene, 42, is highly regarded by his peers. A former baseball player at the University of Notre Dame, he is actively engaged in the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, Minority Opportunities Athletics Association, and LEAD1, an association dedicated to preparing today’s students to be tomorrow’s leaders.

Anderson was named by Forbes Magazine as one of the 25 Most Influential Minorities in Sports in February 2016, noting that he had “helped position the Sun Devils as one of the most innovative brands in college sports.” He received an extension in the spring of 2018 through 2022.

Through seven years under Muir’s leadership, Stanford has extended two of the most recognizable streaks in college athletics. In 2018-19, the Cardinal claimed its 25th straight Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup, presented to the most successful intercollegiate athletic department in the nation. Stanford has also won at least one NCAA team championship in each of the last 43 academic seasons, the longest such streak in the country.