Vanderbilt fans were greeted with positive news Monday morning as news broke about new hirings within the Vanderbilt athletic department. Tommy McClelland (former athletic director at Louisiana Tech) and Dr. Kristene Kelly (former associate athletics director at Dartmouth) were both hired, the former as the deputy athletic director for external affairs and revenue generation and the latter as Vanderbilt’s deputy athletic director for internal affairs.
Of the recent hirings, current Vanderbilt AD Candace Lee said:
“We are fortunate to have Tommy and Kristene join our Vanderbilt team. Both are highly regarded leaders, have extensive experience in college athletics, track records of proven success, and are relationship builders. Most importantly, they are firmly committed to student-athletes, and are mission-driven and purposeful in their work. Both Tommy and Kristene are very competitive, and I’m excited for the energy that they will bring each and every day. As deputy athletic directors, their roles are significant as we continue to position Vanderbilt Athletics for the future. This is a critically important time, and I know that their impact on our student-athletes, coaches, staff, campus partners, community and Commodore Nation will be tremendous. We are excited to welcome them and their families to Vanderbilt, Nashville and the SEC.”
Andy Fox, Vanderbilt’s director of scouting and recruiting for men’s basketball, tweeted an encouraging statement regarding the hiring of Tommy McClelland and Dr. Kristene Kelly.
Both come to the West End with extensive experience and Commodore Nation should be very excited about these hires. Each brings new experience and energy: consider Kelly’s experience working within an academically oriented athletic department at Dartmouth and as a senior women administrator or, on the other hand, McClelland’s experience with fundraising and facilities. On the Louisiana Tech athletic site, it says of McClelland:
“Perhaps the most tangible sign of McClelland’s impact at Louisiana Tech are in facilities with the addition of the $23-plus million Davison Athletics Complex and the $18-plus million press box and luxury suites at Joe Aillet Stadium. These two new facilities not only changed the landscape of football game-day in Ruston but also produce more than $1.2 million in additional revenue per year for LA Tech Athletics” (La. Tech bio).
We may truly be at the dawn of a new day at Vanderbilt, and if good news like this keeps rolling in, fans should be pleased with the recent steps of AD Candice Lee and Chancellor Daniel Diermeier.
The Dore Report 
Leave a Reply