Joan Cronan has been women’s athletic director at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville since 1983. She previously was at the College of Charleston.
In her position, she oversees all aspects of the Women’s Athletic Department.
Cronan was named National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators 2005 athletic director of the year. The previous year, she was honored by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) as its southeast region athletic director of the year. Under her direction, the Lady Vols program has captured the Southeastern Conference’s women’s all-sport award from the New York Times for three consecutive years.
Cronan is president of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, is active on the boards of First Tennessee Bank, Baptist Hospital, and the YMCA, and has served as vice chair of the Leadership Knoxville board. She works closely with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Athletes in Action, serving as a board member for her local FCA chapter and as a national trustee. In 2003, Cronan was inducted into the FCA Hall of Champions. She also is a deacon of her church.
Cronan is third vice president of NACDA and is president elect of the National Association of Collegiate Women’s Athletics Administrators. She has served on the NCAA’s Executive Committee, Management Council, as well as the NCAA’s Council, and is a member of the NCAA Championship Cabinet. She has also been a member of the Southeastern Conference Executive Committee.
She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Louisiana State University and is a member of the LSU Alumni Hall of Distinction. She lives in Knoxville. She and her late husband, Tom, have two daughters—both 1994 UT graduates—and four grandchildren.
Joan Cronan
jcronan@tennessee.edu
Contact: Suzy Sutton
ssutton@tennessee.edu
865-974-8358
