There aren’t many areas where the state of Tennessee makes good news these days, especially in the political arena. But athletically, Fisk University last week was in the spotlight for once again doing something that far too few colleges and universities have done at any level. They announced the selection of Valencia Jordan as their new Director of Athletics. It’s a return home for Jordan, who was a star volleyball player at Fisk from 1981-82. She talked about what the appointment meant to her upon being hired last Thursday.
“Being an AD is a dream come true for me,” Jordan told HBCU Connect. “Coming full circle to Fisk is an honor. So much rich tradition here. Now it is time to make some new history. There are some great people here. I look forward to getting to work and making Fisk a school athletes want to attend.” Interestingly, her appointment comes to succeed another Fisk trailblazer who was serving in an interim role, Fisk gymnastics coach Corrinne Tarver. Tarver has helped Fisk become the nation’s first HBCU with a fulltime gymnastics program, and her arrival generated both national and international headlines last year. Tarver, who had been doing two jobs since last March, will now return to the gymnastics position fulltime. Jordan’s already been fully prepared to take this step.
At Tennessee State University, she’d worked in various roles from 1989 to 2021. Jordan was the volleyball coach from 1992 to 1994, assistant women’s basketball coach in 2000, and was promoted to head coach in 2001. She later became the associate athletic director/senior woman administrator at TSU. Last November, Jordan was named special programs coordinator at Metropolitan Davidson County Parks Department before taking her new position as AD at Fisk.
“I have heard nothing but good things about her,” said Head Men’s Basketball Coach Kenny Anderson of Jordan. “She knows a lot of people, so it will be great for her to be our leader. The team is excited to have her on.”
Jordan knows she has a special challenge at Fisk. HBCUs in general don’t get the exposure or attention that they deserve from many mainstream outlets, though in fairness, the Nashville media does a solid job of covering Fisk sports. They are not a Division One basketball program, but in Anderson they have a former NBA star and topflight coach. The gymnastics program is competing against much larger schools in premier events around the country. Jordan’s role will certainly be to continue building and solidifying the various programs for many fine participants who truly embody the often ridiculed (and rightly so in many instances) concept of student-athlete.
Fisk isn’t the only Tennessee school where the athletic department is being supervised by a Black woman. This past July Candice Storey Lee was reappointed athletic director and vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs. Her new deal runs for five years. When initially appointed in May of 2020 she was both the school’s first woman athletic director and SEC’s first-ever Black woman athletic director. The lengthy list of accomplishments under her tenure include the school reaching its initial fundraising goal of $300 million, which will include funds earmarked for major improvements to First Bank Stadium and Hawkins Field. There will also be a brand-new, state-of-the-art basketball operations center.
A four-year letter winner and captain for the women’s basketball team during her days as a player, Lee has also earned both a master’s and Ed.D at the school. She’s seen the bowling team win this year’s NCAA title and the baseball team, a perennial success, make the College World Series in 2021. The football team last year had its best season since 2018, and the basketball team its most wins since the 2011-2012 season.
Also from 2002-2020, Tennessee State University’s athletic program was headed by Teresa Phillips. Phillips had previously been a highly successful basketball player at Vanderbilt and a head women’s basketball coach at both Fisk and TSU prior to becoming athletic director. Among many highlights, she launched the first official website, built an indoor practice facility, was responsible for overseeing upgrades in various athletic facilities and also saw the football team return to playing periodic games at Hale Stadium. Among various conference and tournament championships, the men’s gold team won the PGA Minority National Championship. Phillips also won multiple community service awards and inductions into both the Vanderbilt and GPS Athletics Halls of Fame.
So while there are many areas in which the state of Tennessee leaves much to be desired, they have been pioneers in terms of creating opportunities for Black women in athletic administration. it’s one of the few places where anyone can reasonably say others should follow their example.
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