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CSCommunicators.com/CelebrateCSC
This feature is part of our series of profiles showcasing members throughout the CSC membership during the celebration of College Sports Communicators Membership Appreciation Week for 2022-23. See more features at CSCommunicators.com/CelebrateCSC.
Danielle "Dani" Wright – Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, Director of Strategic Communications
by Tommy Chasanoff – University of the Cumberlands, Assistant AD - Sports Information // Vice Chair, CSC Membership Recognition Committee
Danielle “Dani” Wright is in her first year as the Director of Strategic Communication for the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, joining the NAIA conference in October 2022. She returns to the College Sports Communications profession where she began as a SID at Clark Atlanta University. She also serve at Kentucky State and was the senior director of sports communications at the University of Cincinnati. Wright has earned a plethora of honors, including a NCAA Division II community engagement award, and was named a Limitless Ambition Lady of Legacy in 2017.
Wright (center, front) with the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference staff at a Black Panther: Wakanda Forever VIP Screening.
You have returned to the profession after stepping away for several years. What about the profession and working in the athletics made you want to come back?
DW: The people. I have amazing relationships and have met some of my best friends while working in athletics, and I knew that coming back meant having a great support system. I also love sports. Me+Sports = a match made in heaven!
How have the experiences you’ve gained throughout your professional career influenced the way you cover athletics and teams?
DW: I feel like I could write a book about this. I had amazing mentors from the moment I stepped into Hampton’s sports information office in 2000. Patricia Porter-Mayfield welcomed me as a student assistant, and during my time at Hampton, she showed me the ropes. She also taught me things that can only be shown through character and action – how to carry myself as a Black woman in athletics and communications.
I have mentors like Monique A.J. Smith who has always been there to guide, correct, challenge, and pour into me. I also have Dr. Kristene Kelly, April Emory, Dr. LaToya Sivells, Alexxis Hutchinson, Dr. Jamie Purnell, Kenisha Rhone, current CSC President Jessica Poole, Tiffany Sykes, Jennifer Williams, Shera White, Tiffany Tucker, and Dr. KiKi Baker Barnes. Along with Patricia and Monique, these women have helped shape who I am as a Black woman in athletics.
Wright with the BCSIDA group at the 2010 CoSIDA Convention in San Francisco.
Please tell us more about being a Black woman in sports communications and what your journey has been.
DW: My education and career experiences have led me to cover sports through the lens of those who are often underserved and stereotyped – because they often are left with no voice and are not sure of how to get their voices heard. This means creating stories that change the narrative about women, people of color, and other marginalized groups so the playing field remains rich in diversity.
Most important, I want the way we cover sports to be more than the game – it needs to be about the people overall: who they are, what drives them, what they aspire to do and become, and their contributions to this world. I am also deeply reflective and always want to convert my painful situations into power and purpose, even if it is simply listening to a student, coach, or administrator and telling their story in a way that sheds light to the essence of who they are.
What do you see any special challenges that conference sports communicators face?
DW: I think there is an overall lack of funding in athletic communications. The landscape of athletics is everchanging, and we need communications departments that do not place the load on one person. Gone are the days of one-person shops in communications. If we are going to grow our conferences and schools, we have to make moves that support that mission and vision. My commissioner Dr. KiKi Baker Barnes understands this, and consistently takes actions that help our schools garner more support.
At a Clark Atlantic athletics media day in 2010.
What advice would you give to people that are new to the profession or trying to break into this profession?
DW: You need to know how to write. Regardless of the focus on video and social media, writing is a necessary skill. Well-written content will help with the development of videos, social media captions and more.
Lastly, never stop learning and never quit. I quit. I gave up on my dream of spending my entire career in athletics because I was burned out, missing my family, and navigating some mental health challenges. Take care of yourself and make sure you have a strong support system. Athletics is an incredibly rewarding career, but you have to make sure you take care of yourself – from the inside out
.
What are your biggest career successes to date?
DW: This is really hard to answer because success can sometimes be very personal and private. One thing I count as a major accomplishment is being able to overcome some really difficult life challenges and remain focused on my goals and dreams. I learned to plant and pivot. I learned that adversity is temporary, and whatever pain we have creates power to live in our purpose if we have the right mindset. So, my biggest career success is not about my career, it’s about having a mindset that helped me redirect setbacks into comebacks that converted to major wins along the way.
To pick from one career accomplishment, I would say launching the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference internship program is top-tier for me. We have placed interns at each member school, and the conference office to assist with content creation, media productions, and more. GCAC’s media rights partner Urban Edge Network is the sponsor, and the partnership has opened so many doors for our member schools – even those who are not student-athletes.
Leading this program is an honor, and I do not take it lightly that I’ve been trusted with guiding 11 students and two internship coordinators. This is just the beginning, and we know the number of interns will increase as our membership increases. How cool is it to oversee a program like this?!
Outside of work, what will we find Danielle Wright doing?
DW: I love watching Critter Fixers, Life Below Zero, and Port Protection. I am most definitely cooking something I made up on the fly! But right now, I am mostly working on building my nonprofit Oasis House for Healing and Restoration and hosting Hits & Heels, an online sports show, with my rockstar friend Terri Bryant.