With 30 years of service under her belt at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC), Deanna Bradley, athletic director, announced she is retiring, effective May 14. She has played a pivotal role in the institution’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics during her tenure.
She has served as athletic director since she joined The Woods in 1991, pioneering the program to what it is today — including 14 varsity scholarship athletic teams. She also served as the head women’s basketball coach from 1992 to 2018.
“I am eternally grateful the Lord chose to place me at SMWC for 30 years,” Bradley said. “SMWC will forever hold a special place in my heart. I was truly blessed to have so many people over the years assist in the development of the athletic department.”
Bradley faced several challenges as she began her tenure at The Woods, including a disbandment of athletics during the 1992-93 season. While this trial might have run another athletic director off, Bradley took action. She formed a task force to prove the importance of athletics on campus — which brought the addition of scholarships for student-athletes, with the 1994-95 season of women’s basketball being the first scholarship program at The Woods.
She was involved in the 1999-2000 transition from the National Small College Athletic Association (NSCAA) to the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA), a key growth for the department and institution. In 2020, SMWC was approved for membership in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). It will transition from USCAA to NAIA during the 2021-22 season becoming a provisional member on July 1, 2021.
“Deanna has successfully led the athletic department through many growth opportunities and has put the entire department on a path toward the future,” Brennan Randolph, vice president for enrollment management and institutional technology, said.
The Jeanne Knoerle Sports and Recreation Center broke ground in late 2013 and was opened in 2014. Before the center was built, some student-athletes had to travel to off-campus facilities to practice. Bradley said in 2013 the facility was “only touching the tip of the iceberg as to the possibilities.”
Little did she know the possibilities were just beginning. As SMWC became coeducational in 2015, Bradley encouraged the addition of men’s athletic teams.
“Deanna Bradley came to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods and created a scholarship athletics program where none existed,” Dottie L. King, Ph.D., president of SMWC, said. “Through her 30 years, The Woods has continued to grow and evolve, and her dedication has been a large part of our success. Most importantly, she has held our mission in her heart. Thank you, Deanna, for everything you have done for SMWC.”
She is recognized for her work in several capacities, including induction into the USCAA Hall of Fame in 2019, the Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Ripley County Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. She was the first female student-athlete from South Ripley High School to receive the honor.
She was born in Seymour, Indiana, and grew up in Holton, Indiana. She received a bachelor’s degree from Indiana State University and a master’s degree from Western Illinois University.