From playing guard for the Lions womens’ basketball team to Assistant Athletic Director for Internal Operations and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, management lecturer, and author. Dr. Janae Lyde became a UNA legacy.
Born in 1993 and native to the state of New York, Lyde frequented Bishop Maginn High School, Albany, playing basketball as a letterwinner for the Griffins for four years. As a senior, led the school to a record of 15-4.
The young woman’s passion for basketball made her cross the country towards the South after high school graduation. Janae Lyde played for the Texans Southern University and Texas A&M Corpus Christi before joining the University of North Alabama in 2013 for three career-high seasons and three degrees.
Lyde was certain of her passion by confidently seeking a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in sport management degree while being a student-athlete, interning at the Athletics Ticket Office, and making UNA a second home. “My time at UNA has truly changed my life, as both a student-athlete and student, I was provided with an experience that has transformed me and made me into the woman I am today. Life provides many ups and downs, but the lessons that are learned from them and the places life will take you is what is the most important thing to take away,” says Lyde.
The No. 3 player finalized her UNA basketball career with 535 points scored, 231 rebounds, and 100 steals, earning Gulf South Conference “all-tournament” honors as a Sophomore in the 2013-14 season. In the 2015-16 season, her senior year, Lyde achieved a career-high total of 203 points with a 9.7 point per-game average and 11 scoring double-doubles.
Shortly after graduating with her B.S. with a 3.9 overall GPA, Dr. Lyde was offered the opportunity to return to the Athletics Ticket Office as a graduate assistant, which she mentioned was an intriguing experience, “and I [have] always wanted to get my Master’s Degree (M.S.).” Lyde also assisted the department in game day operations, marketing, and promotions.
Earning her Master of Science degree in sport management in 2018, with an overall GPA of 3.8, and completing a two-year job as graduate assistant made Janea Lyde prepared for the next career and heart-related goals. “The step in the door has led me to different roles within the Athletic department, and I am grateful to work for my Alma Mater, and give back to the student-athletes and students the same way I was offered the opportunity.”
The University of North Alabama is known for being a welcoming community-driven campus, one where Lyde returned to for her third degree, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in sales and new businesses.
The year of 2018 marked Janae Lyde’s life with the completion of a cycle and the start of another. She was elevated from assistant to ticket manager at the Athletic Ticket Officer department in June of the same year, and completed her MBA in 2019.
In Oct. 2021, Lyde became Assistant Athletic Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, following her USF Corporate Training and Professional Education DEI certificate.
in Dec. 2022, her work was extended to Assistant AD for Internal Operations. Dr. Lyde explains that sponstaneity is what drives her passion for her work since it “changes every day, and that is what I love about it. I never know what I will have to deal with daily, and that brings the excitement to work each day. It challenges your thinking and leadership capabilities.”
In 2023, Lyde received the Doctor of Business Administration degree in higher education administration at Trevecca Nazarene University, and became a lecturer for management in the Sanders College of Business and technology at UNA in August. She claims that having a “split role” as both Assistant Athletic Director and class lecturer comes with time management challenges, but her sport years have taught her how to cross those barriers. “The biggest challenge is finding more the 24 hours in a day to complete everything, but the biggest reward is when you can complete whatever assignment or challenge in front of you and you ultimately WIN the day. That is the athlete and constant competitor in me!” says Dr. Lyde.
When it comes to the sense of belonging, Lyde feels touched by her Lions community. The university has followed her from sophomore year of college to the present, completing a twelve-year relation of apprenticeship, hard work, and love with the campus.
She cheerfully says, “The UNA community has accepted me as one of their own, and I am grateful for it! This community has provided me with opportunities and has believed in me from my time as a student-athlete to an employee. Which is why I have not left this great University. I am forever indebted to this university and the people in it. Thank you, UNA!”
