LEITA COWART/Special

"People look at my life’s record and tell me I must be a glutton for punishment to work as an African-American female in a white, male-dominated world, but I just feel blessed to get the opportunity. I’m here to do the job," Mary McElroy said.

Georgia State University's new athletics director, Mary McElroy, is in a unique position. She's an African-American woman holding that job title at an NCAA Division I non-historically black college.

"I'm not sure if I'm the first, but I know I've joined a very exclusive club [of female athletic directors]," McElroy said. "People look at my life's record and tell me I must be a glutton for punishment to work as an African-American female in a white, male-dominated world, but I just feel blessed to get the opportunity. I'm here to do the job."

Part of that job is to blaze a trail for all those who come after her.

"I give credit to people in my life for my success [parents, coaches and bosses who gave her the benefit of the doubt]. I did not make it all on my own, and I feel so obligated to help and inspire other leaders," she said.

McElroy never bowed to the conventional wisdom that women shouldn't be managing men's sports.

"Why is it people question a woman's ability to handle men's football, but no one ever asks if a man can handle women's softball?" she said.

She believes that management is management: You communicate, budget, support the well-being of staff and student-athletes, and aim for success.

McElroy has always kept her eyes on the goal, regardless of the playing field. Growing up with seven siblings, McElroy learned toplay softball with her family.

She played basketball, softball and volleyball in high school and graduated third in her class in Great Mills, Md.

"I was driven to get an education - my mother always stressed that - and I knew the only way I was going to get to college was on scholarship. I don't know too many successful people who don't have a plan," McElroy said.

McElroy entered the U.S. Naval Academy, knowing that if she stuck with it, she'd earn a prestigious degree and have a guaranteed job upon graduation. In her 1987 graduating class, 67 of the 100 women who started as plebes with McElroy graduated. Three were African- American.Was it tough?

"Much tougher than that movie 'Annapolis,' " McElroy said. "Looking around in class, I was often the only black or the only woman, but I never regretted it for a moment. It gave me a great foundation, and I was there to learn and develop my future. We were all suffering, and our friendships got us through."

When you take 18 credit hours, play a sport and have military obligations, there is little time to concentrate on race and gender.

"You just get it done," McElroy said.

After five years as a supply officer in the U.S. Marine Corps, McElroy planned to get a job in corporate America, but her husband was stationed at the U.S. Naval Academy. When she stopped by to see her old basketball coach, he suggested that
McElroy apply for an opening as assistant compliance director for the academy's athletics program.

"I never thought I'd have an opportunity to work in sports. I just fell into it. Jack Lengyel trained and oriented me to this crazy world of sports management," she said.

After moving to Atlanta and working for a headhunter, McElroy began work on a master's degree in management from Georgia Tech. A class project led to a meeting with athletics director Dave Braine and a job opportunity as compliance director for Georgia Tech in 1999.

"He trusted me and challenged me. It was a blessing to fall back into athletics, and I took advantage of the opportunities offered," she said.

McElroy worked her way up to associate athletics director at Georgia Tech before taking the top job at Georgia State last July. Georgia State intrigued her as "a sleeping giant," with the resources and alumni base to support a successful athletics program
despite the many commuter students at the school. McElroy was told it would be a tall task to get people excited enough to stay in town for a Georgia State game.

"I say we can do it because we're Georgia State," McElroy said. "We have 25,000 students and a great number of Atlanta alums. If we can't get 2,000 of them to fill the stands, then there's something wrong with us, and I don't expect to fail."

The university is building its athletics program by expanding "Panthersville" - its outdoor sports facility in Decatur - so GSU's
tennis and soccer teams will have a home field. A larger basketball arena is part of the master plan.

A switch from the Atlantic Sun Conference to the more challenging Colonial Athletic Association has been a boost for the program, McElroy said.

"It challenges our athletes to push themselves harder, to compete at their highest level every day and to be better prepared for NCAA championship play," she said. "We've already bene fited from access to better recruits."

Shying away from competition has never been McElroy's style.

"We'll strengthen our teams to compete well in this conference and, at the same time, graduate productive citizens - that's the legacy I'm after."

McElroy was elated in November, when the GSU men's golf team won the Carpet Capital Collegiate tournament, in which 11 of the nation's top 25 ranked programs competed. She was there to see it, because she attends almost all GSU competitions and those of her two teenage sons.

Behind the scenes, McElroy is building the program with new staff. Knowing that someone gave her a chance, she looks equally at all candidates and hires based on qualifications.

"I'm looking at men, women and minorities," she said. "We've got to have the right people. If they're not committed to excellence and can't see the vision, then they're on the wrong team. We've got no time for naysayers.

"I can see light, and I'm so excited about what Georgia State can be. Right now it's one challenge after another, but that will make victory that much sweeter."