Q/A with Purdue Deputy AD Tiffini Grimes

Tiffini Grimes joined Purdue Athletics as Deputy Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator in August 2022. This move returned Grimes to her alma mater after a nearly six-year stint at the University of Alabama (2016-22), most recently as Senior Deputy Director of Athletics/Senior Woman Administrator and Chief Diversity Officer. 

Grimes also has worked at Penn State, Georgia Tech and with the NCAA and has a variety of roles at Purdue including the sport adminstator for football, women’s basketball and softball.

The following are excerpts from an interview on Gold and Black LIVE on Friday, Oct. 18.

GoldandBlack.com: What strategies do you use to stay focused with all that you have on your plate?

Grimes: it’s absolutely one day at a time. and honestly, (the key is) working in a collaborative fashion. We have a phenomenal team of coaches and administrators within the Purdue athletics department, some of the best and brightest in the business. And so it’s really refreshing, and it feels great to be at a place where we’re all pulling in the same direction. You know, outside of taking it one day at a time, I think communication is one of the biggest strategies that we try to use. There’s no such thing as over communicating for us.

GoldandBlack.com: You spend a lot of time with Purdue football, yet you are in separate buildings. What is your daily workflow with the program?

Grimes: It’s not in the same building, but they see me multiple times daily. You know, our staff, I think the world of them, and I think the best way to help lead and support is to be present. And so, the way my day is structured is that meetings have to take place, but the staff and the student-athletes know I’m a phone call away; I’m a text message away. If they need anything, besides those touch points, I am there every day at practice … this week has been every night. But then also make it a point to get over there for meetings. So they’re stuck with me.

GoldandBlack.com: With your past experiences at places like Alabama (where there has been a high level of success), what skill set do you use to help Purdue football find traction?

Grimes: The first thing, I think, it’s making sure that you’re surrounding yourself with really smart people. Coach (Ryan)Walters is one of the most cerebral individuals I’ve had the pleasure of working with. His intellectual horsepower (shows) in what he did last week at Illinois. I think that that says it all. He definitely has the capabilities, and we’re more than excited to watch him move the program forward.

My skillset goes back to communication, saying we have truth and transparency. And I think when you start there, you can have some really honest conversations about what we’re doing well and our growth opportunities. You know, building doesn’t happen overnight, right? We have (for example) this beautiful new golf facility that’s going up. Those who are local know Cherry Lane has been a detour and filled with new, new visions of the golf club every single day, and that’s taken time. It was the same with Ross-Ade Stadium, our beautiful basketball locker rooms, and the new dining hall we had just constructed.

it’s about truth and transparency, having those conversations along the way, but also understanding and not wavering on our goals and expectations for the program, but ensuring that our staff, and more importantly, our student-athletes, have the support to achieve them so (it’s) truth, transparency, grace, and patience, but being incredibly steadfast and persistent towards the end goal.

GoldandBlack.com: Are you a “rah-rah” type of leader?

Grimes: First. you have to get to know your staff, and you have to get to know your student-athletes to understand what they need at that moment; I can be a ra- rah if need be. But again, I can’t waver from the truth and transparency and my belief in the individuals within our programs. And so what I like to do is consistently remind everybody that there’s a blueprint and a process we are building, and building doesn’t happen overnight. But when that house is finished and it’s been done with intentionality and attention to detail, that’s something that will last for a really long time. We’re not trying to throw something up and hope it sticks for three months.

GoldandBlack.com: When dealing with topics like social media, how do you encourage focus?

Grimes: I think that’s probably the hardest part for me, is to see some of the things written about our student-athletes. You know, they are someone’s son, someone’s brother, someone’s cousin, and someone’s friend, and so, you know, I tend to get a little mama bear because their parents and their loved ones entrust us to take care of them during their time here at Purdue. They are 18 to 22-year-old people with their adults with training wheels on, and it’s our responsibility to help them progress into amazing citizens who go out into the world and succeed.

We get the luxury and the liberty to turn our TVs on on Saturdays, and when we’re watching a game, it’s easy to disconnect the performance from a person. And so we do much talking (to the team and staff) about we know who they are, they know who they are, and they are more than a game and win or lose on Saturday, we’re still going to show up the next day and we’re going to love them, and we’re going to pump them up, and we’re going to have them ready for the next week.

The goal is to win, and then that’s their goal above all. But at the end of the day, they’re people, and life will ebb and flow. This is a wonderful exercise, and how to deal with adversity and keep plugging forward so that you do hit that goal.

I’ll also say this: we’re very blessed to have substantial resources within our department. We have an excellent head of sports psychology, Dr Andy Walsh, and so no, we lean on him because the mental health and the well-being of our student-athletes is one of our top priorities. And sometimes, during times like this, his services are a little more necessary, but it’s another excellent way that Purdue shows up and supports their student-athletes and their holistic development.

GoldandBlack.com: What fuels you during the long football season?

Grimes: It’s absolutely the student-athletes, and it is watching the preparation Sunday through Thursday; to watch them balancing their schedules to (watching them) take rigorous courses at one of the country’s most high-profile academic institutions. That makes me very proud.

They’re very, very successful students first, but then to watch them, you know, compartmentalize that responsibility, step into the weight room, step into the training room, step onto the practice field, and prepare to the best of their abilities. That’s what fuels me. That’s what makes me incredibly proud.
It’s the work that they put in behind the scenes that many don’t get to see. And I wish that was different.

I wish everyone could see what’s happening, you know, six days out of the week, instead of what just occurs on Saturday. But those young men are giving everything, and the coaches are working diligently to put them in the best situation possible so that the score reflects the hard work they’re putting in the rest of the week.

I am so proud of these young men and the culture built within the football program. I am positive, and I am optimistic, and I am excited about the future. And I’ll also say this: I appreciate all the fellow Boilermakers who understand that and believe in it and who show up week after week and send all of the very kind emails and messages to pump our team up and pump our staff up. So that doesn’t go unnoticed, and it’s certainly not unappreciated.

GoldandBlack.com: Talk about working with coach Katie Gearlds and trying to get that program more traction?

Grimes: Working with Katie is one of the highlights of my career. For those who don’t know, Katie and I were here together as students at Purdue. So I’m two years older than her, but I remember going to plenty of games and watching her play; she was something then, and she’s just as ferociously competitive and positive and encouraging as a coach and as a player.

And so this off-season, the word I would describe, to describe practices over the past, off-season, fun, fun. These girls are having an absolute blast and working hard, and it’s awesome to see, you know, a roster full of mini Katie Geralds. By that, I mean (the team will be) fiercely competitive, work hard, do things the right way, develop their technical skills, develop a high basketball IQ, put in the extra work in the gym, and have a goal to be the absolute, very best.

This is the 50th anniversary of women’s sports at Purdue, which we’ll celebrate this evening. And when you think about what women’s basketball means to this institution and to this state, you couldn’t be more proud that the game has exploded and is getting the attention it deserves. And we couldn’t be more proud to know that the catalyst for the game’s growth has some roots in West Lafayette. So we’re ready to keep working, keep supporting Katie, and bring that national prominence back to West Lafayette and women’s basketball.

GoldandBlack.com: With all the hats you have worn in your career and your experiences, how do you deal with the relative chaos in college athletics with the world of NIL, transfer portal and all the changes?

Grimes: There are many unknowns. We have had to get very sound with patience and waiting—none of us like that, waiting for things to unfold. What we take comfort in, again, is that we’re surrounded by incredibly intelligent people. Once we do understand a directive on the new landscape, (I) have no doubt whatsoever that I will not just be able to succeed in this new landscape but will be able to thrive. Many people have described it as chaotic, but I think we look at it as an opportunity. It’s honestly an opportunity. It could level the playing field in many ways, and we’re excited to work to make it beneficial and advantageous for Purdue athletics.