Vanderbilt has removed the interim title, making Candice Storey Lee the first woman to run a Southeastern Conference athletics program.
With Vanderbilt’s announcement Wednesday, Lee now is among only five women and the second black woman in charge of a Power Five program.
Daniel Diermeier, who takes over as Vanderbilt’s chancellor on July 1, said Lee is the “living embodiment” of the university’s values and aspirations.
The 41-year-old Lee is a former Commodores basketball captain. She took over as interim athletic director on Feb. 4 when Malcolm Turner resigned after one year on the job.