University of Tennessee Athletics
Ervin Named Director of Student-Athlete Success & External Relations
August 25, 2022 | Women's Basketball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Heather Ervin, who has 20 years of involvement in enhancing the experiences of student-athletes at the University of Tennessee, is taking on a brand-new role at a time when Lady Vol basketball players are in the public eye more than any other time in history.
Serving as the director of player relations and administration for women's hoops for the past three of her six seasons with the program, Ervin has been chosen by Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper to take on a key impact role as her staff's director of student-athlete success and external relations.
Harper, who is intentional about cultivating the best possible experiences for her student-athletes on and off the court, aspires to help her players thrive during this era of Name/Image/Likeness (NIL) opportunities. Harper believes Ervin is the ideal person to mentor Lady Vols as they develop as young women, build their personal brands, identify career aspirations and plan for the eventual reality of life after basketball.
"Without question, Heather is the right person for this role," Harper said. "I am excited to give our players the support they need to be successful young women off the court during an unprecedented time in college athletics."
Among Ervin's focused responsibilities for this new position:
"The student-athlete has always been at the center of everything that we do at the University of Tennessee and this further demonstrates our commitment in supporting our student athletes holistically and providing them with all the resources to succeed in life. I look forward to working closely with Kat Jones, our Director of NIL, as well as Altius and our student-athlete development staff on creating even more personal branding opportunities for our Lady Vols."
Serving as the director of player relations and administration for women's hoops for the past three of her six seasons with the program, Ervin has been chosen by Tennessee head coach Kellie Harper to take on a key impact role as her staff's director of student-athlete success and external relations.
Harper, who is intentional about cultivating the best possible experiences for her student-athletes on and off the court, aspires to help her players thrive during this era of Name/Image/Likeness (NIL) opportunities. Harper believes Ervin is the ideal person to mentor Lady Vols as they develop as young women, build their personal brands, identify career aspirations and plan for the eventual reality of life after basketball.
"Without question, Heather is the right person for this role," Harper said. "I am excited to give our players the support they need to be successful young women off the court during an unprecedented time in college athletics."
Among Ervin's focused responsibilities for this new position:
- Implementation and oversight of a program based on building lifetime success, which focuses on character development, life skills and career connections.
- Provision of individualized education and guidance to current student-athletes in the areas of personal brand alignment, image consultation, career exploration and business leadership development.
- Responsibility for the program's mentorship program, serving both as an advisor to student-athletes as well as connecting student-athletes with other high-character role models.
- Partnering with the Thornton Athletics Student Life Center in the area of student-athlete development for each Lady Vol player.
"The student-athlete has always been at the center of everything that we do at the University of Tennessee and this further demonstrates our commitment in supporting our student athletes holistically and providing them with all the resources to succeed in life. I look forward to working closely with Kat Jones, our Director of NIL, as well as Altius and our student-athlete development staff on creating even more personal branding opportunities for our Lady Vols."
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