AD Irvine Works to Help Tiger Championship Culture Thrive

Five and a half years ago, Lesley Irvine arrived at CC as the new VP and Director of Athletics, ready for a new challenge. CC had everything Irvine wanted. Her past experiences provided the perfect foundation to help her lead a dual-divisional department as well as one with a hockey team (a unique program in collegiate athletics).

“CC had this bold vision for its athletic programs and that’s what really excited me,” says Irvine. “Ultimately, we all as leaders in athletics want to be at a place where what you do is really valued. Athletics here at CC is truly valued in a way that is really healthy. It’s part of the educational experience here. You have a platform to be really successful.”

Irvine has taken that platform and raised it to a level not previously seen at CC. Since arriving on campus, Irvine has led several high-profile projects and helped Athletics become an integral part of the CC experience. She has proved herself to be a leader that is willing to do the work and truly support her people. But this work has not come without challenges.

In her time on campus, Irvine has seen a great deal of change both in CC Athletics and collegiate sports across the country. One of the biggest challenges of Irvine’s tenure to date occurred just six months into her time at CC when the campus, and the world, shut down.

“For us during that period, we became really determined to see how we could continue in the safest way possible,” says Irvine. “At that point, it wasn’t about winning or competing. It was truly about giving the students that hope and opportunity to just work out and be around the sport that they love.”

During the pandemic, CC was competing in conferences that were still playing, and so there was a sudden shift in how to function in this new world, how to survive and thrive in college athletics while supporting the students and staff.

“I had to get straight in the trenches with the people in this department and roll up our sleeves. We really built trust and got to know each other,” says Irvine. “I think the most exciting piece is really just the people, the culture starting to take care of itself. My goal is to really have the coaches here understand what we do, how that relates to the strategic goals of the College, and how we connect as far as the educational experience.”

It’s Irvine’s dedication to the people, both in her department and throughout campus, which has had some of the most significant impact.

“I have been highly impressed with Lesley and her leadership of our Athletics Department,” says Susan Stuart, Women’s Lacrosse Head Coach. “Every program wants to be seen, acknowledged, and valued, and I feel that Lesley provides space for that. The regular one on one communication is the best I have had here at CC over the years. An athletic director who talks about supporting a championship culture and then supporting that vision is what keeps morale and motivation high amongst a very competitive group of coaches.”

“Lesley is a dynamic leader and has impacted CC in a very significant way in her short time here, but the gravity of her impact won’t be fully understood for years to come,” says Men’s Basketball Head Coach Jeff Conarroe ’99. “I think it’s Lesley’s personal experiences as both a coach and a student-athlete at the highest levels as well as her blue-collar background that helps shape her leadership style and create our distinct culture. No place else can you receive a liberal arts education on the Block Plan, all the while competing at the highest levels of collegiate sports, yet Lesley is tireless and connects with every human to create a sense of belonging in our community. I cannot say enough good things about how she has changed CC.”

“I think Lesley is a tremendous leader in so many ways. She has a clear vision of championship culture and what she sees CC can be,” says Keri Sanchez, Women’s Soccer Head Coach. “She is persuasive in how she talks to anyone about that vision, and I know the Athletics staff is working hard to help live that vision. With all the craziness of the college sports world these days, she manages to stay on top of the news and be forward thinking so CC is ready to adjust and adapt and stay competitive within the college athletics landscape. I am so grateful for the opportunity to work for someone like her.”

While Irvine works tirelessly to support the entire Athletics staff as well as those beyond her department, CC’s student-athletes will always be her main priority. Supporting the needs of collegiate student-athletes, particularly CC student-athletes who have the added pressures of the Block Plan, is a passion for Irvine.

“You’re bringing students in with really high expectations of themselves, both academically and athletically,” she says. “If we want them to pursue excellence in both of those areas, we have to give them the support that they need, and we also have to normalize seeking support. One of our key goals is the holistic support of our student-athletes. You’re talking about sports psychology, you’re talking about nutrition, you’re talking about career advice and academic advising. We have a unique opportunity to directly connect with our students.”

This support, both for the competitor and the person is truly felt from all the student-athletes on campus.

“It really did start with her having the courage to bring in new coaches that are pushing us as athletes, but also helping us turn into good people,” says Adrian Price ’25. “This is no longer an institution where we’re just pursuing academic excellence, but we’re now pursuing athletic excellence. And I truly believe that started with Lesley and the people that she’s bringing in with her. When you look at her track record and who she surrounds herself with. She demands greatness. She embodies all the attributes of what it means to truly be a strong, fearless but also selfless leader.”

“Lesley creates an environment that celebrates hard work and success, but also encourages teamwork and positivity,” says Zoe Tomlinson ’25. “This inspires all of us to work together for success on the court. She is at all of our home games, which shows us that she is invested in us and our success.”

Irvine’s support of people is behind the success of CC Athletics’ drive to create a championship culture.

“I spent ten years at Stanford and learned a lot about championship culture there. Your motivated people really do want to chase championships and try and win,” says Irvine. “I think it’s really important as an athletic director, when you’re talking about those things, that you’re not doing it in a way where it’s win at all costs, or they feel like you do it in a way that you’re not part of the team. So, when they have the big wins, you’re high fiving. And when they have hard losses, you’re giving them a hug. You’re part of that. You don’t distance yourself from that.”

And Irvine has had plenty of reasons to give high fives in her time as a Tiger. In the past five years, CC Athletics has experienced unprecedented success and several landmark moments including 24 All-Americans, 12 Teams in NCAA Tournaments, 10 Individuals in NCAA Tournaments, 19 Team Conference Titles, 56 Individual Conference Titles, 18 SCAC Elite 19 Awards, and 17 Coach of the Year Awards. And, in the past year, nearly 90 percent of all CC student-athletes earned a spot on their respective conference academic teams.

It is some of these big moments that stay with Irvine and push her to set high goals for herself and Tiger Athletics.

“It’s being in Boston last year with Men’s Soccer, where they win to go to the Elite 8. Those moments really stand out because you see your student-athletes now competing at the national level, on a national stage,” says Irvine. “It’s beating DU last year on our home ice and knowing we did it on national television as well. It’s seeing Women’s Basketball beat Trinity when they were ranked number one. For me, it’s the impact that that those moments can have as far as visibility of the College and the strength of our program.”

Irvine has seen how the successes of CC Athletics can impact the campus as a whole as well as the greater community.

“As a leader, I’m always looking for ways to leverage what we do for the greater good and it’s actually really fun to be at CC in a city like Colorado Springs, that really values sport as its own identity and as its own ecosystem,” says Irvine. “Some of my proudest moments have been in simple projects like the C4C Cup for Women’s Soccer that is as simple as having an idea. That’s what I love about CC and that’s what I love about the city is if you have an idea, you can get people together and do it.”

Irvine also sees her leadership role on campus as a unique one in comparison to her colleagues at other institutions.

“Part of what I love about the way CC structures athletics here is I get to be a leader on Cabinet, so it it’s kind of reflected even at that level to say Athletics is really seen as part of the culture here and that we’re seen as being able to bring solutions to the table. We’re talking about Athletics as an institutional strength, which is really exciting.”

Through it all, Irvine is relentless in pushing herself and her people to take those next steps, to get to that next level.

“Our goal is to win some championships,” says Irvine. “I really think somebody is primed here to win a national championship over the next couple of years. I don’t throw that out there lightly. I think for us it’s also important to stay focused on the process. It’s about making sure that we do some really good work.”

In the end, though, for Irvine, it always comes back to CC’s student-athletes and her passion for sport.

“For me, the greatest joy is getting to support our student-athletes pursuing their athletic opportunities, but also just growing and seeing them grow not only through their experience here at CC, but through the laboratory that is college athletics,” she says. “I’m a first-gen college kid. I’m an immigrant to the country. Athletics has opened so many doors for me. I have so much gratitude for that. I love what I do and that’s not a pitch. I love what I do. To have the opportunity to hopefully provide those types of moments to our 400 student athletes? I have the best job in the world.”