Dec. 1, 2016
By Zac Ellis
VUCommodores.com
When Rod Williamson first arrived at Vanderbilt in the fall of 1983, there were no computers. The Internet and social media were years from being invented. The athletic department boasted a thinner budget, smaller staff and less of a spotlight on Olympic sports. Unlike in today’s collegiate athletics climate, Williamson wore far too many hats in his first role as Director of Marketing and Promotions at Vanderbilt. He was, in his words, “a one-man marketing department.”
More than 33 years later, times have changed in college athletics. But one thing hasn’t changed at Vanderbilt: Williamson’s passion for the Commodores. That’s why he opted never to leave West End. “If you’re lucky, you kind of have it in your DNA,” says Williamson, now Vanderbilt’s associate athletics director/director of communications. “You just walk into a place, and you feel like you belong.”
Williamson has belonged at Vanderbilt for the better part of three decades, but he is retiring from the university this week after a memorable career in college athletics. In that span, Williamson has witnessed the Commodores evolve into a premier brand in the SEC. These days Williamson says he can count on one hand the number of days he wasn’t excited about coming to work. That passion and loyalty hasn’t gone unnoticed by Williamson’s coworkers.
“In our industry, you just don’t see people in a dedicated spot for as long as Rod’s been here,” says Eric Jones, Vanderbilt’s assistant AD for ticketing and an 11-year veteran of the department. “Rod takes things very seriously for the fans, and he is a staunch supporter of the student-athlete. I’ll miss his friendship and organizational knowledge above all else.”
A native of Iowa, Williamson held several positions at his alma mater, Iowa State, prior to his lasting stint at Vanderbilt. But when former SEC Commissioner Roy Kramer offered him a job at a private, academic institution in the SEC, a move to Nashville intrigued Williamson. “Vanderbilt had the basic values that I liked: the true student-athlete,” Williamson says. “The concept of trying to win both ways, academically and athletically, was fascinating to me. That is something I’ve always felt attracted to.”
As Williamson reflects on his time at Vanderbilt, he struggles to narrow down his favorite Commodore memories. But he has witnessed all three of the school’s national championships, — in baseball (2014), bowling (2007) and women’s tennis (2015) – as well as a host of SEC titles. Williamson takes particular pride in the NCAA bowling title in ‘07; his son, John, serves as head coach, and the older Williamson got to tag along when the national champion Commodores visited the White House, where they met then-President George W. Bush.
“When you see the President of the United States shake your son’s hand for something he and his group accomplished… Wow!” Williamson says.
Williamson was present the first time a Vanderbilt team every played for a national championship. In 2001, the Commodores’ women’s tennis squad upset Georgia in the NCAA semifinals in Stone Mountain, Ga., pushing the program to its first NCAA final in history.
But Vanderbilt’s ultimate loss to Stanford in the championship match isn’t all Commodores’ head coach Geoff Macdonald remembers from that run. Even today, he recalls a proud Williamson looking on as the ‘Dores vied for their first national title. “Rod has always sort of infused the department with a good sense of humor and pride,” say Macdonald, who, in his 22nd season, is Vanderbilt’s longest-tenured head coach. “He just has a lot of pride in how our teams perform, and he understands the mission of how hard it can be here.”
Williamson’s impact has been felt outside the confines of the athletic department, as well. “Under Rod’s leadership, the collaboration between athletics communications and Public Affairs has been unprecedented and has resulted in a consistent overall institutional message about our student athletes, our mission and values,” said Beth Fortune, vice chancellor for public affairs at Vanderbilt University. “We will miss his wisdom and keen sense of humor but wish him well in this new phase of his life.”
As he plans for retirement, Williamson won’t disappear entirely from the McGugin Center. He plans to remain involved in a limited role with Vanderbilt, focusing on special projects. That way, the longtime Commodore can keep tabs on what he finds truly special about Vanderbilt.
“I can remember a few big games, but it’s the people you remember more than the games,” Williamson says. “That’s what makes Vanderbilt athletics special. It’s the people.”
