Episode 102: Daniella Irle

Women Leaders in Sports Podcast

In this podcast, Patti Phillips shares a great conversation with the Director of Athletics at Knox College, Daniella Irle.

Her highly decorated 20-year head coaching career in Division I Swimming and Diving, paired with a masterful 15-year administrative career, has made Daniella a force in this industry and beyond. She is no stranger to defying the odds and when we say resilience changes lives, there is no better example of this than her.

Leaning into self-awareness and committing to personal growth has been the story of Daniella’s advancement and prompted a critical pivot in her career to working in Division III athletics - a decision she’s made and never looked back.

In our conversation, Daniella opens up about her experience working in athletics during the wake of Hurricane Katrina and how it became the catalyst for her transition from coaching to administration. The skills that she had already spent so many years refining in her coaching career, she says, were immediately transferable and “translate at any level of leadership.”

We also talk about shifting your mindset as a decision-maker when becoming an AD, why perfection isn’t everything, how the biggest difference in each division is simply the decimal point on your budget.

As Daniella says, “It’s always time to be aspiring.” Don’t miss a moment of this conversation! We hope you enjoy our conversation, and remember, we are Women Leaders!

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