Better Know A Boston College Athletic Director Candidate: Jocelyn Fisher Gates

Next up in our profiles of potential athletic director candidates is Jocelyn Fisher Gates.

Before I start writing this, I just want to say that I am a little biased because I had the incredible opportunity to be one of Jocelyn’s mentees through a program I participated in during my senior year at BC, so the fact that she is mentioned as a potential replacement AD is very exciting to me personally!

Currently, Gates is the Senior Associate Athletic Director & Senior Woman Administrator at BC, having been in the role since 2017. She also serves as the Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Athletics. Most notably, she had big roles in hiring women’s basketball coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee, volleyball coach Jason Kennedy, and football head coach Jeff Hafley.

When she was hired at BC, Martin Jarmond referred to Gates as a “rising star in college athletics,” and noted that she “made a positive impact everywhere she’s been.” In an article from CollegeAD, she spoke about striving to be a voice for student-athletes and wanting the people around her to reach their full potential.

Before Boston College, Gates served as the Senior Associate Athletic Director & Senior Woman Administrator at the University of South Florida, where she oversaw responsibilities for enhancing the student-athlete experience and was the departmental Title IX liaison. She worked closely with the men’s football team, the women’s basketball team, and the men’s and women’s golf teams while at USF. Prior to her role at USF, she worked at Duke University as an Assistant Director for the Iron Dukes Annual Fund and was a postgraduate intern at the NCAA headquarters in their Diversity & Inclusion department.

In addition, Gates is a member of many athletic associations, such as the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA), Black Coaches and Administrators (BCA), and the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).

With Gates’ experience, her involvement in the BC community, and dedication to student-athletes, she would be a strong candidate for the Athletic Director.