Candice Storey Lee could not have imagined the road ahead when she left Madison, Ala., as a teenager and made the short drive up I-65 to begin her college basketball career at Vanderbilt. 

A profession in college athletics was nowhere on her radar. Eventually becoming the athletic director at her alma mater would have seemed unfathomable at the time. After all, there was no precedent for a Black woman in that role at an SEC institution. 

Two decades of hard work and the powerful influence of several role models changed her perspective and opened new doors of opportunity.    

Lee arrived at Vanderbilt in the Fall of 1996. She battled through knee injuries and received two medical redshirts before leading the Commodores to an SEC Tournament championship as team captain in her final year of eligibility. 

Lee pointed to her prolonged career as a student-athlete as a key factor in opening her eyes to a career in athletics. 

“It was really a blessing,” Lee explained. “I got to go to graduate school. But during that time, I also saw Carla Williams.”

Lee first met Williams when she was a high school prospect and Williams was coaching women’s basketball at Georgia. Their paths crossed again when Williams joined Vanderbilt Athletics as an administrator near the end of Lee’s playing career.

“That was an important moment for me, even if I didn’t realize it at the time,” Lee recalled. “I was seeing a woman, and beyond that a Black woman, who was in an administrative role. I knew she was well-respected, and I also got to know her. She is to this day both a great friend and mentor to me and it started at that time.”

Lee received an internship opportunity at the end of her sixth year on campus. David Williams had just been hired as Vanderbilt’s General Counsel and offered her an internship in student affairs. 

“David gave me an internship with no promise of full-time employment,” Lee explained. “But about two weeks into the internship he told me that there may be an opportunity in athletics, so I moved over into academic support.” 

Williams soon became Vanderbilt’s athletics director and over the next decade he continued to invest in Lee, offering her opportunities for growth and increased responsibility.

“I went from academic support to compliance to being the SWA and overseeing sports, being over internal operations and ultimately worked my way up to being the number two person.” Lee outlined.

All told, Lee spent 17 years working for Williams. She continued her academic pursuits while working her way up the ladder in the athletics department. After receiving her master’s in counseling, she went on to earn a doctorate in higher education administration in 2012. 

Lee admits she considered leaving Vanderbilt for other opportunities early in her career, but credits Williams and others at Vanderbilt for consistently investing in her. 

“I really benefited from being in an environment where I had people who were champions for me,” she stated. “I had opportunities to leave Vanderbilt, but the reason why I stayed was because Vanderbilt was an environment that was always pushing me and nurturing my development.”

Choosing to stay in the same place didn’t mean Lee was risk averse. Any time a new challenge was made available, she jumped in with both feet.

“When presented with an opportunity I said ‘yes,’ even if I didn’t know if I was ready to do it. I’ve been fortunate to benefit from a lot of mentors and I try to spend time and support other professionals, particularly up-and-coming professionals, as much as I can because I greatly benefited from that.”

“The impact that Candice has on the people around her is easy to see,” Carla Williams said. “It is also easy to recognize the impact she is having and will continue to have in our industry.”

Another one of Lee’s early mentors was Greg Sankey. Lee took on compliance responsibilities at Vanderbilt as Sankey was joining the SEC as Associate Commissioner for Governance, Enforcement and Compliance.

“I always gravitated towards him because I knew I could learn a lot from him,” Lee said of Sankey. “He’s always been superb under pressure and a really thoughtful and smart person. Over time, he became a trusted resource and someone who I could call and pick his brain about jobs or get his insight on things.”

“Candice and I began our administrative careers in the Southeastern Conference at nearly the same time,” Sankey recalled. “It has been enjoyable growing alongside her as a colleague in the ensuing years. From day one it was clear she had the leadership qualities, knowledge, character and disposition to lead at the highest level of college sports.”

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Lee recalled David Williams first talking to her about the possibility of becoming an AD around 2015. But it wasn’t until Carla Williams was named athletics director at Virginia in 2017 that Lee really believed it was possible. 

“I remember being really emotional about that,” Lee expressed. “It was so cool to see a Black woman in that role. We’d never seen that before at this level.”

“People had told me what was possible before then, but with Carla I actually got to see it. That was an important signal to me.” 

Just three years later it was Lee’s turn to serve as a trailblazer, becoming the first female athletic director and first Black woman to lead an SEC athletics program in May of 2020. 

Lee is quick to acknowledge the significance of her appointment and the mantle she now carries. 

“I feel I have a huge responsibility as a woman and as a woman of color because I understand the importance of representation,” she explained. “I know it in my own life from watching Carla.” 

“On one hand, I want to be known as a good athletic director, period. I want to be known for the quality of my work and who I am as a leader. But being a Black woman is a huge part of my identity so of course I carry that into everything that I do. It’s part of my lens and how I see the world. Proudly, it’s the way that I see the world.” 

“There are many ways to consider diversity and representation,” Carla Williams explained. “Our population, in college athletics, is diverse so it should not be an anomaly to have diverse leadership. Yet, that is often the focus. Candice is incredibly gifted and could be leading any major organization. There are many others who would do the same if given the opportunity.”

Once she got the job, Lee knew replacing herself had to be her first order of business. She identified Tommy McClelland as her deputy for external affairs and Kristene Kelly as deputy for internal affairs. 

“This surprises people, but I didn’t know Tommy and I didn’t know Kristene,” Lee noted. “I knew of them, and I certainly did my homework, but I actually wanted people who I thought would not come into Vanderbilt with preconceived notions about me, about the department or the University. I thought fresh perspective was important for us.”

Lee recognized the importance of fresh perspective as she began to implement her vision. 

“I knew I had to attack a different narrative about who we were going to be as an athletics department at Vanderbilt,” she stated. “I didn’t need more people who understood Vanderbilt. I got that. I know Vanderbilt. What I don’t know are other institutions. 

“I think they filled in gaps we had with our team. I like the direction our staff is going.”

With her chief lieutenants in place and the backing of new Chancellor Daniel Diermeier, Lee led the development and launch of the Vandy United Fund in 2021. The campaign was designed to support Lee’s vision that one of the world’s preeminent academic institutions in one of the nation’s best cities can thrive in the most competitive athletic conference in college sports.

“Vandy United represents a commitment to maximizing our potential,” Lee explained.

A $300 million investment in athletics facilities are a tangible representation of that commitment. 

“David Williams did the hard things and made sure our student-athletes had great opportunities and experiences when it came to internships, immersive educational experiences and those types of things,” Lee stated.

With the support of Vandy United, “We can be a place that’s going to allow you to study abroad, and use your platform, and have agency in your experience AND also win an SEC Championship and a National Championship. We can actually do all of those things,” she proclaimed.

“If we’re going to be serious about that commitment, you’ve got to have facilities that are at that level because that’s what people see.”

“It’s an opportunity for us to capitalize on what we’ve done really well in the past. Because I’m the first to say we’ve done some really good things and David Williams and many other people deserve credit for that.”

Vanderbilt has a bold vision and real momentum since Lee took the reins. She has also added value and unique perspective to the SEC that didn’t exist before her arrival. 

“It has been gratifying to see Candice’s career unfold at Vanderbilt, first as a student-athlete, then as a prominent administrator before rising to her position as director of athletics,” Sankey said. “She is an important voice among the SEC’s athletics directors and her perspective on issues, especially as an advocate for student-athletes, is one that is critical and respected by her peers.”

“In our league I feel very supported,” Lee stated. “I think my male counterparts have been tremendous. They’re good teammates and colleagues.”

“Sometimes I get emotional about it because the fact that we’re still talking about the first of anything in 2022 is frankly kind of embarrassing,” Lee continued. “Because I know some really highly capable people across genders, across ethnicities that deserve opportunities.” 

Carla and (Duke Athletics Director) Nina King and I speak often. We feel fortunate to have the opportunities that we have and know that how we perform and what we do will be really important for insuring there will be more opportunities for women and people of color.” 

“I want to be a lifelong learner. So, I learn from Candice,” Carla Williams stated. “She is a wonderful person, first and you have a special place in my heart when my children look up to you….and my children look up to Candice Lee.”

Williams and her children are among a growing list of individuals who have been touched by Lee and her leadership. She could have hardly envisioned the influence she would accumulate when she first arrived in Nashville 20 years ago. 

Today, Lee impacts those around her in countless ways – as a role model, a mentor, a friend…and perhaps most importantly, as a visual example of what is possible.

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What does your current role at SMU entail? What are your areas of responsibility? 

Primarily my duties are as liaison to the SMU Office of Development and External Affairs and Business and Finance, while overseeing all aspects of fan experience as well as marketing, ticket sales and operations and Mustang Sports Properties. I also serve as sport administrator for men’s basketball and volleyball.

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During your career, you’ve spent time at other institutions and in other roles. Tell us a little about your path to your current position and how your previous experience helped shape you as an administrator.

I started my career in athletics as a student basketball manager at Temple University for John Chaney and Fran Dunphy. My first full-time job was in ticket sales for the Atlanta Hawks and the former Atlanta Trashers. I missed college athletics and wanted to go back and get my MBA (for free) so I applied everywhere to get an entry level marketing job. I accepted a position at New Mexico State University, moved sight unseen, and worked in marketing and development there. After that, I worked at New Mexico and Temple in various development roles. As I considered my career and next step, I sought to expand my skill set beyond external functions and applied for the role at SMU. Having a development background has helped me tremendously in my current role and building relationships with coaches and staff, as well as colleagues across campus. 

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Please share your degree history and how your coursework has helped you in your career. 

I have a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing and a master’s degree in business administration. Don’t misinterpret my next comment, education is important, but getting up at 4:30 am as a freshman for practice and learning life lessons from two legendary coaches has helped me more in my career than an accounting class. 

Tell us about being a men’s basketball manager in college. How important was that position in relation to your making a career in sports?

My last comment was a good transition for this question. I met Jay Wright once at an event after Coach Dunphy introduced me as one of his former managers. Immediately he said he’d hire any former manager for a role on his staff because they don’t ask a ton of questions before they find a way to get things done and work harder than most. Being a manager really helped develop my internal motivation to work hard (just because you should and not to get credit or praise) and my competitive drive. My freshman year was the hardest transition because of the morning practices and because of what most of our student-athletes experience in college, balancing having a social life and showing up 100% for your role every day. The only time I’ve cried out of happiness was when we beat St. Joe’s at the buzzer in the Palestra. I don’t want to bore anyone with more stories, but this experience tremendously impacted who I am and how I approach my job each day. 

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Discuss a couple of people that have been role models/mentors to you in your career to this point and what they’ve offered you.

When I think about this topic two areas of mentors come to mind. People who have helped shape who I am to the core and people in my life that have helped me develop a sharper skill set professionally. Foundationally, my father really helped shape some of my character traits that show up. Honesty, loyalty, hard work. Coach John Chaney taught me about toughness and not making excuses. Coach Fran Dunphy taught me to leave things better than you found it (he would always pick up trash on campus in North Philly as we walked around saying “Lauren Adee we should always leave places better than we found them”). He also emphasized treating everyone with respect and giving back when you have an opportunity to do so. 

Professionally, my development skill set was sharpened by Mark Ingram, the Director of Athletics at UAB and Kris Graves, the Associate Vice President for Development at the University of Delaware. Mark taught me how to “get that money” when I was so new to the business and Kris taught me to focus on the things that mattered like doing the job I have well and not comparing myself to others. Rick Hart has sharpened my leadership skill set and has taught me a lot about managing through difficult times, how to create buy-in and alignment and that you “can’t mess with happy” when you work in college athletics. 

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How have you grown as a leader throughout your career? 

Well, I hope I’ve grown as a leader. You’d have to ask people that I’ve worked with over time if that is true. One thing that I’ve tried to do is be more self-aware and understanding that everyone is different and leading in one way isn’t going to get the best of the individuals that you work with. I continually need to adjust and receive feedback to change and adjust my style to others. 

What is some advice that you give to people just starting out in their career in college athletics? 

Only do it if you love it. You can always find a better paying job and work less hours. What will keep you in this profession is the passion you have for the mission and purpose of the industry and the people you surround yourself with. The true mission and purpose of college athletics makes this profession so special and rewarding. 

Discuss the role that professional development events like CALS and others have played in your career.

One professional development program that is conducted through the NCAA, The Dr. Charles Whitcomb Leadership Institute, gave me my closest confidantes and true friends in the industry. It was also the right program at the right time to develop me when I was a middle level administrator searching for more. CALS is amazing because of the programming and the community that continues to build each year. I always take something away that I want to implement back on campus and meet another genuine connection (not just a business card someone handed me in the lobby).

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Would love to hear about anything fun or unique about SMU that you’ve really enjoyed. Any hidden gems that visitors to the area shouldn’t miss?  

I’ll be honest and say I never thought I’d live in Texas (east coast girl), but I have fallen in love with Dallas. Whether it’s going to my pilates studio or trying any of the amazing restaurants here, there are so many great things to do both on and around the Hilltop. There’s a great sense of pride in working for a university that represents such a great city. The alignment and buy-in from the University’s leadership for athletics is unmatched (from my personal experience). We’ve invested $250 million dollars in athletics facilities over the last decade and we’re currently in a $1.5 billion-dollar comprehensive fundraising campaign, while Dallas is one of the fastest-growing cities in the U.S. Great things are happening at SMU and in Dallas. 

What book/podcast/tv show are you currently recommending? 

The last books I read were The Hero Code, which was Rick’s gift to the staff for our all-staff reading for the year and Do Hard Things. The TV show I’m currently watching is House of Dragons and I just finished DAHMER. I know I’m a millennial, but I don’t listen to podcasts.