Alabama Deputy AD Leaves for Big Ten Program

Alabama's Senior Deputy Athletic Director, Tiffini Grimes, is leaving Alabama for her alma mater Purdue to fulfill a similar position, according to Purdue Athletics.

For the Crimson Tide, as well as being the Deputy A.D., Grimes was also the Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) and the Chief Diversity Officer. She will be the Deputy A.D. and the SWA for the Boilermakers.

Grimes started off working for Alabama as an assistant athletic director for compliance in 2016 and was promoted to associate AD for compliance in football, men’s basketball, and Chief Diversity Officer the very next year in 2017 after Greg Byrne came to Alabama for the A.D. position.

Since then, she has earned multiple promotions with the Crimson Tide, including Deputy A.D. in 2019 and Senior Deputy AD and SWA in 2021.

Here's a description of her roles at Alabama and what she has done for the university during her time, according to rolltide.com:

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"As a member of the executive leadership team, Grimes assists the Director of Athletics with strategic direction for the department, ensures alignment with the mission and values of the university, and oversees the day-to-day operations of several internal areas."

"She leads the department's policy development and implementation, Title IX education and awareness, and the coordination of internal communication to ensure alignment between administration and coaches.

"Grimes further serves as the administrator of four Crimson Tide sport programs and oversees the management, supervision and evaluation of the department's diversity, equity and inclusion efforts."

With student-athlete development as a focus, Grimes created and implemented the "Elite Athlete Program", which transitions student-athletes into the realm of professional athletics and encompasses The Advantage, Alabama Athletics' name, image and likeness initiative. The success of this program has played an integral role for the 18-time national football champions in the areas of roster management and retention.

A key administrator for the football program, Grimes has led the seamless transition of 52 NFL Draft Picks, tying the NFL record and setting the Alabama record for most first-round selections in the 2021 draft (six). Further, she has navigated the successful transitions of four NBA Draft Picks (Collin Sexton, Kira Lewis, Herbert Jones, Josh Primo), and one WNBA Draft Pick (Jasmine Walker).

Dedicated to the recruitment and retention of the talented Crimson Tide staff, Grimes played a key role in the hiring of head coaches Nate Oats (men's basketball), Glenn Putyrae (rowing), Margo Geer (swimming and diving), and Lindsey Devine (volleyball).

In addition, Grimes was instrumental in the development of the department's "National Women and Girls in Sport" day, recognizing the achievements of Alabama's female student-athletes and staff, while raising money to support athletics.

"As Senior Woman Administrator (SWA), Grimes is the liaison to the institution's Vice President and Associate Provost of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Vice President of Student Life, as well as the Clery Act and EEO/Title IX coordinators.

"In this role, Grimes also represents the University within the Southeastern Conference (SEC) as a member of the governance structure and serves on various committees. In addition, she is engaged in leadership at the national level through her roles as a member of the NCAA Division I Rowing Committee and a member of the Women Leaders in College Sports Nominating Committee."