Meet Palm Beach Atlantic’s Athletic Director Courtney Lovely Evans
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Courtney Lovely Evans never wanted to be an athletic director. She originally attended Valdosta State University with the intent of becoming a pediatrician, but her plans changed during her sophomore year.
The idea of working in athletics first crossed her mind when a distant relative made the leap to enter the NBA Draft. Lovely Evans thought about pursuing public relations and image consulting with the intent of working with young athletes making the leap to pro sports. Lovely Evans’ start in athletics was delayed though, as her first job out of Valdosta State involved communications and marketing at a museum before eventually transitioning into the event planning space.
Lovely Evans began her athletics journey as the Assistant to the Athletic Director at NCAA Division I institution, Georgia State. At Georgia State, she was able to learn about the framework of college athletics and the impact she could have on kids entering a very important phase of life.
She found her next position at the NCAA National Office as the Assistant Director in Academic and Membership Affairs. The move to the NCAA was no coincidence as Lovely Evans took the position hoping to learn everything she could about the enterprise of college athletics with the hopes of eventually landing back on a college campus where she could make a bigger impact with the student-athletes.
Lovely Evans stepped foot on PBA’s campus in August of 2015 after not working on a campus for over four and a half years. She worked as the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Internal Operations from 2015-19. She was responsible for all mandatory reporting to both the NCAA and the Sunshine State Conference. In addition, she oversaw athletic training, strength and conditioning, human resources, and business operations while also serving as a sport administrator.
Even as she progressed in college athletics, she was hesitant to pursue the athletic director chair. She chased several professional development opportunities with the hopes of becoming a successful deputy AD that could think like an athletic director. “I always wanted to be a great supporting cast member, never wanted to be in the spotlight.” Lovely Evans said. “I tried to avoid the spotlight because when you’re an AD, the decisions ultimately fall on you. I think there was some fear and anxiety related to that. I wanted to have the mind of an AD, but not have the responsibility of an AD.”
Nearly four years into her stint as senior associate AD at PBA, Lovely Evans was offered the opportunity to become the new Athletic Director at both Palm Beach Atlantic and another NCAA DII institution. She didn’t think she was ready until she received encouragement from several mentors and colleagues which grew the thought that she should pursue becoming an athletic director.
“If it was not for those individuals speaking to me, I would’ve never gone through that progress with the other institution. When I went through the process, that’s when I thought that I could actually do this. I will never forget the day when the former president at PBA called me into his office and offered me the job,” Lovely Evans said. “We’ve been at this for four years and it is still unreal.”
Lovely Evans became the first minority female to serve in the role at PBA. She is the third athletic director in PBA’s NCAA era. She has been called a trailblazer in college athletics, whereas of 2020, just 24 percent of all athletic director roles in the NCAA were held by women. An even lower percentage of athletic director positions are held by African Americans.
“For me, as an African-American and a female, representation matters,” Lovely Evans said. “I was blessed throughout my career to work under another double-minority athletic director and two other female athletic directors. I think that was huge for me to see individuals that look like me and have values that mirror mine in those leadership positions because it made me feel like that was attainable for me if I wanted to pursue that.”
Now Lovely Evans is in a position where she is a role model for college students and young professionals who may be trying to get their start in the real world. “It is very humbling to be in this position now,” Lovely Evans said. “When you think about the weight of the assignment, I stand on the shoulders of those that came before me, but I recognize I am still trying to clear a path for those that come behind me. That’s not just for minorities or just for women, but for individuals that want to make a difference in this industry and see how college athletics can make an impact on our society. I hope that my impact doesn’t only come because of my title, but because of the relationships I cultivate where people see how much I care for them, and I hope that makes them want to listen to some of the advice that I give.”
Since being named athletic director, Lovely Evans has had to endure a plethora of unforeseen and unprecedented events. Going into the 2019-20 school year, the university president that made the decision to promote her, announced his retirement.
As Sailfish athletics geared up to start their first fall season with Lovely Evans at the helm of the department, hurricane Dorian made its way toward West Palm Beach which prompted cancellations during PBA’s opening weekend. After a successful fall on and off the field, the spring semester was halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic, canceling spring seasons and putting the 2020-21 year in flux. The effects of the pandemic were felt throughout the previous two school years with the 2022-23 school year finally feeling like the first normal year in her tenure as AD.
“There was no blueprint for handling Covid. I couldn’t just call up my mentors and ask them how they’ve dealt with it. This year is the first year where I felt like I haven’t had to deal with crazy. I feel like I’ve finally gotten into a rhythm. I enjoy coming to work every day with my staff, walking with them, and doing life with them. I can wholeheartedly say I love this team.”
As college athletics and Palm Beach Atlantic have moved on from the pandemic, Lovely Evans laid out her vision and goals for Sailfish Athletics. One of her main goals for competition is to help the Sailfish win their first NCAA DII national championship, attaining a department grade-point average of at least 3.5+, making facility upgrades, and giving student-athletes a platform to share Jesus.
“I try to be transparent about who we are and what the expectation is. We are to show Christ-like character in everything we do. The way to get the attention of the world is to show them something different, not showing them mediocrity, but excellence.”
During her tenure as AD, PBA has seen a rise in student-athletes named to the SSC honor roll, including a department record of 178 honorees and the highest department GPA in nearly a decade (3.25), during the unprecedented 2019-20 academic year. In addition, PBA has nearly doubled the amount of Division II Athletic Director’s Association academic achievement awards, including another department record, 85 honorees in 2021-22.
Lovely Evans has continued to be active in the NCAA governance structure, serving on Division II Management Council from 2018-2023. She has made an impact on the local West Palm Beach Community, serving on the board at the YMCA of the Palm Beaches. She is a member of the College Women Sports Awards Board of Directors, an active member of Women Leaders in College Sports, and a graduate of the NCAA and Division II Athletic Directors Association Women and Minorities Mentoring Program, Women Leaders in College Sports/NCAA Institute for Administrative Advancement, and NCAA Leadership Institute.
Lovely Evans was named DII Nike Executive of the Year by Women’s Leaders in College Sports in 2021.
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