Lady Vols supporters saddened by Currie's sudden ouster as athletic director

The high point of John Currie's tenure as Tennessee's athletic director likely occurred on Sept. 14, when he announced that the Lady Vols' name was being restored for all women's sports at the university.

It was a joyous day for the women who had lobbied UT officials for nearly three years about the issue, which had sparked a backlash from Lady Vols fans and former athletes. Therefore, they were shocked and saddened by Currie's ouster on Friday.

"I'm very sad over it," Mollie DeLozier said. "I think he's a good man. I think if he could've weathered this storm, he could've been a good athletic director for Tennessee.

More:University of Tennessee announces return of Lady Vols logo for all sports

"Ultimately,  I know the buck stops with him but I think he was getting a lot of pressure from a lot of people. Those donors aren't silent."

DeLozier, a UT graduate and former Lady Vols swimmer, and other supporters collected signatures for a petition urging the university to reverse its decision in November 2014 to drop the Lady Vols' name and logo the following year for all women's sports except basketball.

DeLozier said that she emailed Currie when he was still at Kansas State. She and former UT volleyball player Megan Hatcher last April met for an hour with Currie in his office about the issue.

"He listened and asked a lot of good questions," DeLozier said. "He listened to what Megan had to say about the atmosphere when she was at UT and what the athletes thought about it then.

"We both walked out of there thinking 'Wow, he heard us.' That was so different from (former AD) Dave Hart. He didn't even acknowledge we existed."

Raubyn Branton has a similar perspective on Currie. She and her sister, Donna, worked with DeLozier, Susan Whitlow and Jean Lusardi on the restoration issue.

"He gave us back what we fought for," said Branton, a senior CAD specialist for an architect in Morristown. "I'm a little scared. We want to continue what John Currie started on this side. I'm just worried. I'm like a little mamma."

Currie attended a gathering of Lady Vols supporters in late September, where he was a guest of honor. Lady Vols fan Edith Williams, who helped with the petition drive, and Currie shared a warm embrace. The moment was made more poignant by Williams being seated in a wheelchair. 

"(Williams) swore if this happened, she was going to hug his neck," Branton said. "She kept hugging. She wasn't going to let go."