Joan Cronan is Athletic Director Emeritus at University of Tennessee, having served from 1983-2012.
Her illustrious career includes:
- Opelousas, Louisiana native, Joan Cronan was was 12 years old when she received her first lesson in gender discrimination.
- Joan went on to graduate from LSU with degrees in physical education.
- She coached basketball, volleyball and tennis at Northwestern State University in Louisiana after graduating from LSU and before her administrative career at the College of Charleston and Tennessee.
- Prior to her service at Tennessee, Joan was Athletics Director at the College of Charleston for 10 years.
- She was elected President of the National Association of College Directors of Athletics and she received the WBCA Leadership Award in 1987.
- Joan was the first recipient of the NCAA President’s Pat Summitt Award in 2017
- She has written a very successful book, “Sports Is Life With the Volume Turned Up.”
Joan Cronan is in every Hall of Fame imaginable, including the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, LSU’s Alumni Hall of Distinction, the College of Charleston Hall of Fame, Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Hall of Champion.
In honor of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, we are proud to bring you this special interview.
