In the huddle
How women help shape Miami’s football program
From classroom to training room, women power UM.
CORAL GABLES — On any given day, one of the first people Hurricanes football coachMark Richt may encounter when he arrives for work at theHecht Athletic Center is Sebrina Beyer, his assistant and the gatekeeper of his office.
During that same day, Richt may stop for a quick chat in the hallway with Shirelle Jackson, one of the people who helped Miami finish last semester as the FBS team with the most community service hours performed. When he strides onto the field for practice, he’ll likely cross paths with Arielle Scavo, the student equipment managerwhohelped hisplayers prepare for that morning’s workout. And before the day ends, there may well be a meeting with Jennifer Strawley, the administrator who oversees the Hurricanes’ football program and was one of the decision-makers who helped bring Richt to Miami.
Though the players and coaches fans will see on the field at Hard Rock Stadium this fall are all men, there is no doubt that in Coral Gables, women have their fingerprints all over theHurricanes program.
Some, such as Amanda Fernandez, are in the athletic training room, helping injured players get back on the field. Others, such as Dr. Barbara Stratton, work in academic advising and help newly arrived freshmen adjust to the demands of college classes. Meanwhile, Lindy Sparby heads the marketing department, and in operations, Brooke Wilson helps organize the Hurricanes’ road trips and coordinates on-campus recruiting visits for players Miami
“It’s all about how do I make the lives of our coaches easier so they can go about accomplishing what they need to do.” Jennifer Strawley, UM deputy athletic director
hopes to add to its roster. EvenKatharyn Richt— the coach’s wife— has been on the field during games, serving as awatergirl in an effort to get to knowthe players who mean so much to her husband.
Inways big and small, college football— long considered a bastion of masculinity— has seen a growing number of talented, ablewomen fill various roles in campuses across America. And Richt coincidentally, has been somewhat on the front lines of that progress, having worked with two of the few female FBS-level football administrators: Strawley and Georgia’s CarlaWilliams.
“I don’t really think about it much other than is somebody good at what they do or are they not,” Richt said. “They’re qualified. … Tome, it’s no big deal. The bottom line is that Iwant everybody to do their job reallywell. We all count on each other. Itworks for us and I think it’s awesome.”
Before the new season starts, here’s a look at some of thewomen whowill be working behind the scenes to help theHurricanes be at their best over the next few months.
The administrator
Jennifer Strawley may not care for the spotlight, but she isn’t afraid of a challenge.
A former two-year captain of the Pennsylvania softball team and associate athletic director at Columbia, Strawley arrived at Miami during one of the most turbulent times in the football program’s history: theNevin Shapiro scandal.
The chance to help theHurricanes navigate the ensuingNCAA investigation is part of what drewStrawley— who had twice previouslyworked at theNCAA— to Coral Gables in 2012. A year later, Athletic Director Blake James offered her the opportunity to oversee theHurricanes football program, and Strawley, who had served as the football administrator at Columbia, added more to her plate.
Today, she serves as Miami’s deputy athletic director overseeing sports medicine, academic services, compliance andmyriad other programs at Miami, including football, women’s basketball andwomen’s tennis. She’s a regular atHurricanes games, and in 2015, shewas on the search committee that helped bring Richt to Miami.
Once hewas hired, one of her biggest jobs, she said, was to be Richt’s “advocate and ally” as he transitioned into his new role.
“I tried to be the person he could call with whatever the problem or concernwas,” said Strawley, who is currently the onlywoman overseeing an Atlantic Coast Conference football program. “Whether itwas as big as ‘We’ve got to hire a defensive coordinator,’ or as small as ‘I can’t find a stapler,’ Iwanted to help him with everything sowe could get the right pieces in place. Forme, it’s all about howdo I make the lives of our coaches easier so they can go about accomplishing what they need to do. Their lives are crazy. They’re recruiting, they’re navigating theworlds of our student-athletes. Howdo I take it and say, ‘What canwe do on the administrative side to help you?’ ”
The life-skills coach
After years ofworking as an academic adviser for athletes and eventually directing FIU’s academic center for athletes, Shirelle Jackson needed a change.
Working in college athleticswas rewarding, but time consuming. More often than not, her long hours kept her away from her family. Eventually, she reached a breaking point.
“Iwalked away fromthat job that I loved because I missedmy children,” said Jackson, who has two sons with her husband Jason Jackson, a television host and courtside reporter for theHeat. “So I stayed home for a year, trying to figure it out.”
During that time, Jackson had the opportunity to start working at Miami serving as a transfer adviser for students in the school’s College of Arts and Sciences. The jobwould give Jackson the opportunity to continue working with students, but shewould have more regular hours. She jumped at the chance and eventually, transitioned toworking with Miami’s biology majors and premed students.
Then Strawley called and presented an opportunity that proved intriguing.
Miami’s athletic department needed someone who could head a new department thatwould help athletes prepare for life after graduation.
Jackson could help— if she could be convinced to rejoin theworld of college sports.
Today, she’s the assistant director for student athlete development for theHurricanes.
“On paper, I feel likemy resume looks a little eclectic,” says Jackson, who nowcoordinates everything from etiquette dinners to community-service opportunities to job fairs forHurricanes athletes. “But I feel like this job has tied them all together. For me, it’s about mentorship. … I’ve tried to approach every student-athlete, every biology major, every transfer student the sameway. I want them to knowthey matter, and Iwant to knowtheir goals. Then it’s howcanwe help you attain that goal. … Ultimately, what brought me back to sportswas that this was the right administration, and they’ve supported this. I love that Iwork for people who keep theirword and who value this office. Thatwas the yes for me.”
The gatekeeper
The candy bowl on her desk usually prompts the football players visiting their coach to stop.
Finding out Sebrina Beyer used to handle media relations for the Chicago Bulls and that her husband, Dave, is the director of basketball operations for the MiamiHeat usually gets them to chat.
“Ohmy gosh, they have so many questions,” Beyer laughs. “Theywant to knowif I knowMichael Jordan, if I’ve ever met Michael Jordan, was he on the Bulls when I worked there. … They ask ‘Does your husband know LeBron James? What does he think about Dwyane [Wade] leaving?’ The kids love it all.”
For Beyer, those moments of levity with theHurricanes players are nowa regular part of the job— along with managing Richt’s schedule, expenses, travel, speaking engagements and more as his administrative assistant.
It’s a bit of a change for Beyer, whowas the director of public and media relations for the Bulls for 16 years, but like Jackson, she has embraced her new role.
Beyermay no longer be coordinating interviews for NBA stars or traveling fromcity-to-city on road trips, but she’s found that as Richt’s assistant, she can continue working in sports and have an impact while still spending a good amount of time with her 2-year-old twins, Jordan and Bryce.
She’s also enjoyed another aspect of her newworld— the chance towork with young athletes who hope to one daymove in the same circles as the professional athletes she dealt with in her former role.
“This is definitely more of a nurturing environment,” Beyer said. “You kind of feel like youwant to take care of these kids that come through these doors every day. You’re concerned about their overallwell-being, and you want to be a role model for them. Youwant to be able to sit them down and talk to them about what your path was and what they can aspire to be.”
The student manager
The first time Arielle Scavo grabbed some tackling pads and lined up for a drill, shewas nervous.
But determined that itwouldn’t show, she squared up, braced for the hit and took it in stride when formerHurricanes tight endDavidNjoku— a first-round NFL draft pick in April— slammed into her.
“Itwas the most terrifying thing ever, but I held on tight and they didn’t kick me out, so I guess I must have done a good job,” said Scavo, who as an equipment manager for theHurricanes helps prepare the field for Miami’s daily practices, among other things. “I don’t know about other schools, but I knowthese guys are the best. They’re so respectful. … After they hit me, they all asked if IwasOK. They’re always looking out for me. … Iwant to say this is kind of like a dream job, but I knowI’m not really out in theworld just yet. It’s a tremendous opportunity and hopefully, this is going to lead me to bigger and greater things.”
A junior studying sports administration at Miami, Scavo is about to begin her third seasonworking in the Hurricanes’ equipment room. Although the hours can be brutally long, she relishes every minute.
On game days, she’ll help lay out uniforms in the locker roomatHard Rock Stadium before heading to the field to help kicker Michael Badgley and Miami’s tight ends go throughwarm-ups. Once the game starts, she’ll run balls up and down the sideline and make sure safeties coach Ephraim Banda has all he needs towork with his players.
Once games are done, she’ll head back to campus with the rest of Miami’s equipment staff and startwashing and treating uniforms before helping unload the truck carrying all of theHurricanes’ gear.
She does it all under thewatchful eye of her father, Vinny Scavo, theHurricanes’ head athletic trainer. It’s been a natural fit, considering Arielle has spent most of her lifewatching her dadwork.
“When Iwas growing up, thereweren’t many girls doing this,” said Scavo, who hopes towork in compliance after graduation. “But herewe are now. I think it’s huge. If a guy can do it, why can’twe do it? I’ve always thought that, and that’s howmymomraisedme. Don’t ever let people sit you down because you’re a girl. That’s kind of howI got here.”