Lori Williams

Lori Williams was hired as LSU’s Deputy Director of Athletics for Leadership and Strategy in July 2021. She provides oversight and leadership for the athletics culture and engagement initiatives, student conduct, human resources and compliance. She has sport and administrative oversight for the women’s basketball and men’s and women’s cross country and track & field programs. Williams is the primary liaison to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX, the Office of General Counsel, and the Office of Student Advocacy and Accountability.

She most recently worked as the Associate Vice President for Operations & Chief Human Resources Officer at Grambling State University. At Grambling, Williams provided executive level direction for the University’s strategic investment in talent management and organizational transformation. She had executive oversight of the Safety & Risk Management, Civil Rights & Title IX and Human Resources Offices. In addition to serving as the Chief Diversity Officer, Williams was also the guiding force behind the University’s COVID-19 response and task force.

She brings more than 25 years of leadership in higher education, law, and intercollegiate athletics to LSU. Prior to her tenure at Grambling, she served as the Senior Associate Athletics Director and Senior Woman Administrator at Texas A&M. There, Williams was the University’s first full-time Title IX Coordinator before she joined the athletics department.

Before her return to the university setting, Williams was Vice President and Partner with a boutique law firm assisting clients with issues relating to intercollegiate athletics, risk management, higher education and employment law, and Title IX. She also served as the associate athletics director for risk management at the University of Kansas.

Williams was formerly with the NCAA, where she was a director overseeing the disposition of academic and eligibility waivers. She was later named the Director of Academic Certification and Review at the NCAA Eligibility Center, where she played a pivotal role in the organization’s creation.

Prior to her stint with the NCAA, Williams was the Assistant Director of Compliance and Legal Assistant at the Big 12 Conference in Dallas.

Licensed to practice law in the state of Texas, Williams earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration at Baylor University and her Doctorate of Jurisprudence from Texas Tech University School of Law. Williams has also earned an associate of risk management designation.