WACO, Texas – In a restructuring of the Student-Athlete Development office, Baylor Senior Associate Athletics Director
Marcus Sedberry announced on Monday the hiring of a three-person team led by
Cori Pinkett from Kansas City-based Women Leaders in College Sports.
Pinkett, formerly the Director of Student-Athlete Development at Kansas State, comes to Waco as Assistant Athletics Director of Student-Athlete Development and will be joined by
Quintin Jordan, Associate Director of Student-Athlete Development; and
Fabiana Alves do Monte, Student-Athlete Development Coordinator.
"We're excited to welcome a team of professionals who have committed their lives to developing and enhancing the lives of student-athletes," Sedberry said. "They are a team that values relationships with student-athletes, coaches and colleagues, and has expansive experience working with student-athletes from all across the country through national-level programming.
"Under Cori's leadership, this team will be charged with helping develop and enhance our Character Formation student-athlete development programming."
Pinkett has spent the last 16-plus months as Director of Leadership & Education at Women Leaders in College Sports (formerly NACWAA), the nation's premier women's athletic leadership association. She has been responsible for the organization's leadership programming, curriculum development and educational initiatives, including the NCAA/Women Leaders in College Sports summer institutes and the Women Leaders national convention.
A 2010 University of Georgia grad, Pinkett got her start as Assistant Director of Student Services at the University of Central Florida, where she also earned her master's degree. Prior to joining the Women Leaders team, she spent 3 ½ years as Director of Student-Athlete Development at Kansas State.
"It's an honor to join Baylor University and help achieve the mission of Preparing Champions for Life," Pinkett said. "I am eager to get to campus and connect with student-athletes, coaches, staff and the Waco community. Under the leadership of (Baylor VP and Director of Athletics)
Mack Rhoades, Baylor Athletics is making tremendous strides, and I look forward to joining the team."
Jordan, a Fort Worth, Texas, native, has been part of the Conference USA staff for the last five years and transitioned from Academic and Compliance Coordinator to the Sports Services department in August 2015, eventually being promoted to Associate Director. In this role, Jordan served as a sport administrator and supported the C-USA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Life Skills Administrators. He earned his bachelor's in business administration and master's in sports management from Texas Tech and completed an NCAA Postgraduate internship in 2012-13.
"My family and I are beyond excited to join the Baylor family and the Waco community," Jordan said. "Baylor University is such a remarkable institution. I am extremely grateful for the tremendous opportunity to serve the student-athletes, coaches and staff as we continue to represent Baylor Athletics with high character and integrity."
A native of Brazil who spoke limited English when she came to the United States in 2012 to play collegiate basketball, Monte played two years at Seward County (Kan.) Community College and her last two seasons at Arkansas Tech University , where the Golden Suns won back-to-back conference championships and played in the NCAA Division II Tournament.
She earned her bachelor's in business administration and master's in college student personnel from Arkansas Tech, where she also worked in the Department of Diversity and Inclusion after serving an internship in the Student-Athlete Development department at the University of Arkansas.
"I am so excited to be a member of the Student-Athlete for Excellence family," Monte said. "It is incredible to see the many resources available at the institution to make sure our student-athletes are achieving greatness academically and in their sport. As a former student-athlete, I look forward to using my personal and professional experiences to bring something special to the table and work with the Student-Athlete Development staff to continue preparing our student-athletes to become champions in life."
