When Joan Cronan first came to Knoxville in the late 1960s, the move from Louisiana involved more than just miles for her.
“I thought I was coming to Yankee land,” she said. “This was north.”
Now the city is home for the former University of Tennessee women’s athletic director, who will be inducted into the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame on Aug. 4. The reason why, she said, is the people.
“I have a lot of friends from different places and they say, ‘Are you going to this resort? Are you going to move to Florida and play golf?’ ” said Cronan, while sitting on the deck of her West Knoxville home. “And I say, ‘Why?’ Because I love the people in Knoxville and I love what they mean to me and a lot of other people.”
Cronan retired last year after serving two years as adviser to Chancellor Jimmy Cheek. From 1983 to 2012, she served as Lady Vols AD, helping to build and oversee one of the nation’s most respected and popular women’s programs. It grew to 10 sports and a multimillion dollar budget before being merged with the men’s department in 2011.
Under Cronan’s watch, fundraising and marketing flourished. The success of women’s basketball under former coach Pat Summitt helped create a world-wide stature.
Chris Plonsky, the director of women’s athletics at Texas, called Cronan “a pillar” of their profession. Yet Susan Williams, the Lady Vols’ former associate athletic director for development, believes many Tennessee fans will remember Cronan more as the folksy person who stopped by their seats for a conversation during various UT sporting events.
“It was the fans who made a difference,” Cronan said.
And many of those fans reside in the same city that is honoring Cronan.
She illustrated her appreciation with a story about the recruitment of women’s basketball star Candace Parker. Cronan asked Parker during her recruiting visit in 2003 why she’d come to Tennessee. Cronan was hoping for an answer that acknowledged such assets as the facilities and coaching staff.
“I even hoped she’s say a good athletic director,” Cronan said.
Parker literally saw another advantage, however.
“(Parker) said, ‘Where else in America would they be scalping tickets outside for a women’s basketball game?’ ” Cronan said.
Cronan first came to UT as the women’s basketball coach in 1969. She was content as the athletic director at College of Charleston (S.C.) before returning. In both cases, her late husband, Tom, was instrumental in the move.
They initially came because he was pursuing a doctorate degree and Cronan said the university had “the best exercise physiology program in the country.”
Cronan’s return hinged on Tom leaving a position at The Citadel after being named professor of the year at the school.
“His answer to me was “Joan, I love to teach. I can teach anywhere. If you want to make a difference nationally in women’s athletics, the University of Tennessee is the place to be,’ ” Cronan said. “That meant a lot to me, to be able to come back with that understanding.”
Tom, who died of pancreatic cancer in 2006, taught for 20 years at Carson-Newman before retiring in 2004. His thoughtfulness enabled his wife to come home.