“At the end of the day this is ultimately just a game, but we can learn a lot of life lessons through this game.”
Head women’s basketball coach, Assistant Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator, Jamie Purdy, is one of the most structurally sound support beams holding up Piedmont University.
Beginning her athletic career at a young age, she added four sports to her plate right off the bat. Softball, basketball, cross country and track taught Purdy a multitude of lessons along her journey, but coaching any of them someday was never on her radar until Piedmont crossed her tracks. Following her older sister to the Lady Lions softball team was her first experience as a lion. Purdy also played on the women’s basketball team at Piedmont. After graduating and completing her master’s degree in sports psychology, the obstacles got tougher.
“I graduated and when basketball was over, I thought my life had ended,” said Purdy. “I was like what am I going to do with my life?” She began assisting at a junior college and then landed a head coach position that she continued for two years, but the road steered her right back to Piedmont.
Becoming the Piedmont head women’s basketball coach was her opportunity to influence the program in ways she never experienced as an athlete. “I started putting more focus and emphasis on those wins outside of the game itself,” said Purdy. “I know it sounds very cliché, but I really do have a burning passion for helping those athletes realize what their passion and purpose is outside of the game itself. Seeing them grow, develop, mature, and come into their own is really rewarding for me.”
Coach Purdy never puts herself first even when asked to, and her desire to succeed in everything she does is something that she accomplishes exquisitely. “I hate to lose in anything,” said Purdy. Her drive and determination run far wider than the athletic umbrella, but her one true love is playing and coaching ball.
Cultivating a basketball team where confidence combats cockiness is not the only goal coach Purdy has accomplished. She seeks to make a difference. Her administrative duties are spread across various student organizations with the focal point being what’s best for the students and the student athletes as a whole. She covers so many bases for this campus to bridge the gap between sporting events and campus life. Her work as a liaison for the university combines her efforts with those of ResLife, the cafeteria, campus committees, and anything outside of athletics.
“We have collaborated a lot with student life and admissions and all of the above,” said Purdy, “to find a way of doing things that’s best for our students.” No matter what she’s doing, coach Purdy is a trailblazing leader on this campus.
The picture of Piedmont University is painted so beautifully because of the linchpin that is coach Purdy. Having a devoted pillar of this university who is also an esteemed person and coach is vital to Piedmont University.
“It requires a lot out of you, but I’m still enjoying it,” said Purdy.
