Lori Williams, our Deputy Athletics Director for Leadership and Strategy, is selected to participate in the NCAA’s Pathway Program for 2025-26!

In a year already marked by milestones and forward momentum, one of the most meaningful victories for our athletics department came not on the field or the court, but in the recognition of a leader whose influence shapes every corner of our program. Lori Williams, our Deputy Athletics Director for Leadership and Strategy, has been officially selected to participate in the NCAA’s prestigious Pathway Program for 2025–26, a distinction that places her among the most promising and respected administrators in the nation.

The announcement, which came from NCAA headquarters in Indianapolis, has been met with enthusiasm and pride throughout our athletic community. For those who work alongside Williams every day, this is not simply a well-earned accolade—it is the national acknowledgment of a visionary, a builder, and a steady force behind so many of the department’s successes.

Designed to prepare senior-level administrators for the rigors of serving as Division I athletics directors or conference commissioners, the Pathway Program is one of the NCAA’s most selective and rigorous leadership initiatives. Each year, only a small cohort is chosen through an exhaustive nomination and vetting process. The participants engage in a year-long immersive experience focused on executive leadership, decision-making under pressure, institutional alignment, and identity-driven leadership. The curriculum is demanding. The expectations are high. And the outcomes are transformative.

For Williams, the invitation is more than a personal achievement. It is an opportunity to extend her impact and bring new ideas, relationships, and strategies back to an athletics department already on the rise. “I’m honored and humbled,” Williams said when asked about her selection. “The Pathway Program represents growth—not just for me, but for the student-athletes, coaches, and colleagues I serve every day. This is a chance to sharpen my tools, expand my vision, and ultimately give more to the institution and community I care so deeply about.”

Her path to this moment has been anything but ordinary. A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Williams grew up immersed in both sports and service. The daughter of an educator and a high school football coach, she learned early the power of structure, accountability, and empathy. A former track and field athlete herself, she attended the University of North Carolina, earning a degree in public policy and later completing a master’s in organizational leadership. Her academic background has always informed her approach: one that blends data with humanity, structure with flexibility.

Over the past 15 years, Williams has built a career defined by integrity, innovation, and mentorship. Before joining our athletics department, she held leadership roles at two Power Five institutions, where she led initiatives focused on athlete wellness, Title IX compliance, and performance culture. She became known as a bridge-builder—someone who could speak the languages of coaching, compliance, academics, and development with equal fluency. At every stop, she earned the respect of colleagues not simply for her work ethic, but for her ability to listen, to lead, and to lift others.

Since arriving here in 2021, Williams has overseen some of the department’s most pivotal strategic initiatives. She played a key role in our recent five-year growth plan, helping develop a performance framework that emphasized equity, innovation, and holistic athlete development. She championed the creation of our Leadership Lab, a year-round program that provides student-athletes with mentoring, career readiness tools, and real-time leadership training. Under her direction, the initiative has been adopted as a model by several other institutions.

But Williams’ influence extends well beyond programs and spreadsheets. Those who know her best point to her as the heartbeat of a department increasingly defined by values-based leadership. “Lori doesn’t just talk about culture—she builds it,” said Director of Athletics Marcus Hall. “She is someone who leads with character, clarity, and compassion. Her impact is visible in our outcomes, but even more so in our relationships.”

That sentiment is echoed by student-athletes. Junior volleyball captain Taylor Nguyen described Williams as “the kind of leader who makes you feel seen, heard, and believed in—even on your hardest day.” Former athletes have stayed in touch with her long after graduation, crediting her with shaping their futures as professionals, not just competitors.

Her selection to the Pathway Program now puts her in the company of some of the most accomplished names in collegiate athletics. Past participants have gone on to become directors at major universities, conference chairs, and national policy influencers. It’s a program known not only for its elite reputation, but for its track record of accelerating access and opportunity, particularly for women and people of color—something Williams has long championed.

“I believe representation matters,” she said. “It matters in boardrooms, locker rooms, and executive teams. If my presence in this program helps open doors for others, then I carry that responsibility with pride.”

The Pathway Program will take Williams across the country over the next academic year, including residencies in Indianapolis, site visits with seasoned ADs, executive coaching sessions, and collaborative problem-solving with her cohort. She’ll tackle real-world case studies, receive mentorship from some of the most respected voices in college sports, and engage in deep reflection about leadership, identity, and impact.

And yet, even as she prepares to take on this new challenge, Williams remains grounded in her commitment to this department. “This isn’t a step away,” she emphasized. “This is a step deeper. Everything I learn, every experience I gain—it’s all coming back here. My loyalty is here. My heart is here.”

The timing of her selection is also symbolically powerful. As college athletics undergoes one of the most complex and fast-moving evolutions in its history—with changes to NIL policy, realignment, mental health expectations, and increasing national scrutiny—leaders like Williams are not just valuable. They are essential.

She has already been at the forefront of navigating these changes internally, leading the department’s NIL education rollout and convening a multi-department task force to address athlete mental wellness. Her ability to balance forward-thinking innovation with day-to-day operational excellence has earned her quiet comparisons to some of the game’s most admired athletic directors.

But to Williams, it’s never been about the title. It’s about the mission. “I believe in the power of sports to change lives. To teach. To transform. That’s the call. And every day, I try to answer it the best way I know how.”

As the department looks ahead to a new academic year, marked by expansion in both facilities and programming, Williams’ influence will be felt more than ever. Her presence in the NCAA Pathway Program will bring fresh ideas, national insight, and sharpened tools to a campus community already on the move. And beyond the logistics and credentials, it’s her unwavering commitment to purpose that will continue to guide her leadership.

In many ways, Williams represents the future of college athletics: strategic, inclusive, values-driven, and uncompromising when it comes to the care of student-athletes. Her selection is not just a personal achievement. It is a signal—to peers, to professionals, to the next generation—that true leadership rises when integrity meets action.

As the NCAA celebrates its newest cohort of emerging leaders, it also shines a light on the work being done quietly, persistently, and powerfully right here at home. And in the case of Lori Williams, it’s clear: the future isn’t just coming. It’s already here—and it’s in excellent hands.