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Candice Storey Lee was named the Sports Business Journal’s Athletic Director of the Year in recognition of her excellence as Vanderbilt’s athletic director, a role she has held for six years. The award spotlights greatness in athletic directors from March 1, 2025, through Feb. 28, 2026. Lee, who is the Vice Chancellor for Athletics and University Affairs, was also recently selected as 2026 Tennessean of the Year by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.
Lee is the catalyst for Vanderbilt’s athletic decisions, and this past year has been nothing short of spectacular for Commodore athletics. Lee has successfully navigated the rapidly changing landscape of college athletics, particularly in dealing with NIL. She emphasizes building strong relationships with each of her coaches, athletes and the broader Vanderbilt community. Lee, a former Commodore basketball player, is a Triple ‘Dore, having earned three degrees from Vanderbilt.
Her impact on Vanderbilt athletics is evident through the program’s long list of accomplishments. Most notably, it was a landmark season for football, which won 10 games for the first time since the program’s establishment, and quarterback Diego Pavia became Vanderbilt’s first Heisman Trophy finalist in program history. Lee played a major role in signing quarterback Jared Curtis, the nation’s top recruit who was previously committed to Georgia.
The Black and Gold’s success was not limited to the gridiron, with women’s basketball sweeping the SEC awards for Coach of the Year, Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Head coach Shea Ralph led the ‘Dores to an undefeated season at home for the first time in history and the No. 2 seed Commodores advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
The VandyBoys won the SEC Tournament back in May 2025, while Women’s Soccer won the SEC Tournament and earned the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Lee brought volleyball back to Vanderbilt and helped host College GameDay for the first time ever. She has also launched several new programs including Vandy United and Anchored for Her. These mark just some of the many accomplishments Vanderbilt athletics reached over this period, all piloted by Lee.
Lee has now been selected as a finalist for the Sports Business Journal’s Athletic Director of the Year award in back-to-back years and will look to make it three straight in 2027.
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