She Can Be... An Athlete Developer

STARKVILLE – Life is like a race. For some, it's a quick dash to the finish line to see who can come out on top while it's a long, drawn-out marathon for others. For Briana Vaughn, life has always been about speed from the first time she stepped on the track.

Facing the fastest heat of her collegiate career at the 2014 Mt. SAC Relays, Vaughn knew she was outmatched by the other competitors. She questioned whether she was even supposed to be in that heat, knowing that her seed time had been posted years prior to the event.

Nonetheless, Vaughn made her way to the starting line where she put everything behind her and did what she does best: she ran.

Vaughn was introduced to track and field after an impressive performance at a field day when she was in middle school, blowing past all the other kids, including the boys, during the big race. Two weeks later, she joined a local track and field club. The rest is history.

"Some of my best memories was the camaraderie of the sport because everyone sticks together and it's a diverse sport," said Vaughn. "I was also able to travel a lot. I have been to most states just because of track and field. It seems like the meets are forever during the moment, but being able to travel to a meet for a long weekend in middle school, high school and college is something that I will never forget. I have met people from all different backgrounds. I love what it has given to me."

Named the Georgia High School Association Female Athlete of the Year as a senior at Union Grove High, Vaughn was a state champion in the 100m and was part of the 2011 United States team that won a championship in Puerto Rico.

After competing for the University of Georgia as freshman, Vaughn decided to transfer to the University of Central Florida, where she would go on to be an all-conference runner competing in the 4x100m relay and the 100m sprints.

At Mt. SAC, track taught Vaughn a valuable life lesson: you can do whatever you want as long as you work hard. Facing the fastest athletes in the field, she not only ran a personal-best 11.38 in the 100M but also brought home the title.

"I was extremely scared, but at that meet, I ended up running the fastest I ever ran," explained Vaughn. "Those girls running fast pushed me to run faster. That was the highlight of my track and field career."

A harsh reality would soon start to set in, though. By the time she was a senior, Vaughn began realizing that being a professional athlete was not meant to be. Almost every athlete knows the feeling, when competing in the sport they love that has been such an integral part of their life since childhood finally comes to an end.

During her senior year, Vaughn met with the Senior Women's Administrator at UCF, Brandi Stuart. Stuart encouraged Vaughn to pursue a graduate degree in an area that she was passionate about. Because of her involvement with a specific office on campus, the decision was easy.

As a junior, Vaughn was close with a pair of her teammates, but from time to time, the others would deny Vaughn's request to hang out. Caught off guard by the fact that they were saying no to hanging out on a free night, it was enough to capture Vaughn's attention and lead her to Student-Athlete Development.

"I didn't get involved until later in my junior year but was heavily involved during my senior year," admitted Vaughn. "When my friends took the program seriously and told me no to hanging out because they had programs, it made me begin to take it seriously. It made me realize how important it is. I fell in love with student-athlete development because of the opportunity to be involved with student-athletes and seeing other opportunities that were available to me outside of coaching."

From there, Vaughn went full speed on earning a master's degree and pursuing a position in collegiate athletics that eventually brought her to Mississippi State for her first full-time job. Originally, she was hired to work with the senior administration in the athletic department, but that didn't keep her from staying involved. Knowing that she wanted to make an impact, she was to give back to the department that helped her professional career get started.

Ben Rodriguez, who revamped MSU's Student-Athlete Development office in 2019, had been the director of the same office at UCF during Vaughn's time in Orlando. The two had formed a close relationship, as Bri was a regular in programming as an athlete and then interned in the office during grad school. As she continued to give up her spare time to assist with the constantly growing rotation of programs, MSU Director of Athletics John Cohen noticed Vaughn's passion for Student-Athlete Development and asked her to join the office, something for which she is grateful.

Now, Vaughn is the Assistant Director of Student-Athlete Development. The job is everything she wanted it to be. Either working on programs or assisting student-athletes with things like interview prep, no two days are the same. She spends every day engulfed in the student-athlete experience.

"I am whole-heartedly committed to serving the youth through the power of sport," said Vaughn. "There is something in me that always wants to give back, and development is how I can truly embody that. My life has always followed this linear line of development. It's something that I will truly never leave. I may not hold a specific title or position in it, but I feel like I will always be involved in developing the youth in some type of way."

I am whole-heartedly committed to serving the youth through the power of sport," said Vaughn. "There is something in me that always wants to give back, and development is how I can truly embody that. My life has always followed this linear line of development. It's something that I will truly never leave. I may not hold a specific title or position in it, but I feel like I will always be involved in developing the youth in some type of way.

Going back to where it all began on field day, Vaughn was the best. No one else had the ability to match her speed, not even the boys. She certainly didn't know it at the time, but that moment would spark a career path for Vaughn in a male-dominated industry. But just like that day, it hasn't stopped her one bit.

Working in sports as a woman requires a certain level of grit to succeed and excel. You have to be strong, confident and extremely resilient in order to overcome the hardships of the industry. Vaughn has to remind herself that she knows what she's talking about and people respect what she says in meetings. It's not the easiest, but she proudly admits how rewarding it is to be a woman in sports.

"Women in college athletics stick together," Vaughn added. "We become colleagues and friends. There are so many organizations and groups that you can join where you have people cheering you on and want you to succeed. It's awesome being able to work with women in this industry, and it gives you a confidence boost to keep doing what you are doing.

"Seeing women in high-level positions is extremely empowering because I am a strong proponent that you can't be what you can't see. If I didn't see these women in these positions, I don't know what confidence or fire I would have to get to those positions one day. These women are extremely adamant about lifting as they rise, meaning they take women and bring them up with them. I pray that I can do that same thing for others during my career."

Vaughn's ultimate career goal is to be either a senior women's administrator or senior associate athletic director. While she's talented and charismatic enough to be an athletic director, she doesn't like to be in the spotlight. Instead, she wants to combine her biggest passions by overseeing the student-athlete development office and becoming the senior administrator for a track and field program.

"While I chose development, I would say this to any girl wanting to work in sports. She can be anything she wants to be, especially when it comes to athletics!"

While I chose development, I would say this to any girl wanting to work in sports. She can be anything she wants to be, especially when it comes to athletics!

Mississippi State University Athletics

She Can Be... An Athlete Developer

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