Indiana University Athletics
Former Hoosier Student-Athletes Now Serve IU Athletics with Pride
3/24/2021 9:00:00 AM | General
By Jeremy Rosenthal
Rebecca Pany thought she would be a lawyer. Lanie Deppe came into Indiana University as a nursing major. At 18, Lorian Price didn't think she was coming to IU and didn't see being in Bloomington past graduation.
All three are former student-athletes for the Cream and Crimson and have found a home in Bloomington. They are valuable members of an athletic department filled with strong female leaders that are impacting the next generation of Hoosier student-athletes.
Lanie, an Athletic Performance Coach, graduated from IU in 2007 and although she has worked in other places, she feels strongly about her Hoosier roots. There were several people who helped her when she was in school and now she gets to return the favor.
"To have that as an example and be able to do that for other people and to pay it forward, I feel so fortunate to have the experience I did as a student-athlete," Deppe said. "IU is so much of a family atmosphere."
Lorian or Lo as she is affectionally called by those around her, is the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Academic Services. Lo and Lanie were student-athletes at IU in 2003, Lanie as a walk-on with the rowing team and Lo as a member of the track and field team, where she was a two-time Big Ten Champion.
Tom Morris, Senior Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Performance pitted them against each other in a weight lifting competition that turned into a lifelong friendship.
Price said she took a leap of faith as an 18-year-old kid coming to Bloomington.
"I didn't think I was coming to IU, but to see how much it has given me, I try to give everything I have," Price said. I have so many people that invested in me. Its beyond pride, it's a sense of self and I'm so grateful and appreciative of my time as a student-athlete here because it has shaped me into who I am as a professional today. I'm not the person I am today without my experience as a student-athlete at IU."
Rebecca Pany is currently the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Sport Administration, but in 2008 she was a freshman on the field hockey team and was coached in the weight room by Lanie Deppe.
Pany suffered a career-ending injury when she fractured her back and in her senior year served as a student coach and worked in the compliance department.
Pany said in that year she learned a different perspective of leadership and how to unite people.
"I learned a lot when I wasn't able to participate," she said. "I realized I wanted to continue my career giving back to college athletics. That is what propelled me to start a career here."
Pany said she takes pride in how IU serves the student-athletes and how the staff work together.
"What I'm the most proud of is that we always put our student-athletes first," Pany said. "We always work together to get to common goals. I think that is really unique. Everyone works together in the best interests of our student-athletes and it's why I've stayed here for so long."
"A lot of my teamwork driven attitude in the department stems from building a team and a culture as a student-athlete," she added. "It's an understanding of why it's so important that it's not about you, it's about the team. Putting fourth that effort and mentality that it's more important for the whole to be successful than for one person."
The lessons they learned as student-athletes influence their careers today.
"Those mental challenges I went through as a student-athlete help me with our student-athletes today," Price said. "I really do rely on my experience I gained here at IU to help guide me."
Price said she can remember being at track practice and needing to get through the last two 200s of a workout. She pushed to give maximum effort and as she laid on the track after, there was the weight of still have to write a five-page paper.
"Being able to understand and pull from the fact that I know what they are feeling. I'm telling them to trust me that I can help them through it because I've gone through it."
Lanie added that there are plenty of mistakes they made as student-athletes and they try to help current student-athletes not make those same mistakes. They have their backs in all aspects of life.
For all three of these former IU student-athletes they beam with pride when asked about the fact that the IU Athletic Department has so many strong female leaders.
"Representation matters and it is so refreshing to see strong women in leadership roles and growing in their roles and moving beyond where they started," Price said. "It helps us coming up to know there are greater things we can achieve. Not only do we have strong women leaders, they are mentors, listeners, they are giving and caring, that is more important."
"It is one thing to see a strong woman make her own way, but to see them reaching back to lift others is important," Price added. It is really motivating and encouraging for you to be able to say I have a walking example right there in front of me. They are walking in front of me and they are leading the way and saying come with me, walk with me."
Pany said she is proud that there is a culture that supports and promotes women in IU athletics.
"It is a focus and it's important, but it's also so common," Pany said. "To me it's not really a topic and that makes me really proud."
Deppe said even in her field, which is dominated by men, she never felt alone and always had people to push her and make her better. She said sometimes females in small groups see each other as a threat, but that is not the case at IU.
"When we have so many here at IU it just keeps growing," Deppe said. "It's just part of our culture. To be part of something where it is just a normal day to see so many leaders that are women is incredible. I feel so proud to be a part of the growth and it's because of the people that came before us."
Lanie remember Mattie White, who is now Deputy Director of Athletics/Senior Women's Administrator as her academic advisor when she was in school.
Kelly Bomba is the Executive Associate Athletic Director for Administration. Kristen Borrelli is the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Compliance Services. Marcy Simpson is the Executive Associate Athletic Director and Chief Financial Officer.
All these leaders help form the family atmosphere that is so strong within the IU Athletic Department. These people are more than their titles. They have a deep investment in the success of the student-athletes they serve, on and off the playing surface.
"Our students know we aren't here just doing a job," Deppe said. "We literally want to be there for every aspect of their lives. It is an incredible sense of purpose and joy that I have. I couldn't imagine doing anything else."
Rebecca Pany thought she would be a lawyer. Lanie Deppe came into Indiana University as a nursing major. At 18, Lorian Price didn't think she was coming to IU and didn't see being in Bloomington past graduation.
All three are former student-athletes for the Cream and Crimson and have found a home in Bloomington. They are valuable members of an athletic department filled with strong female leaders that are impacting the next generation of Hoosier student-athletes.
Lanie, an Athletic Performance Coach, graduated from IU in 2007 and although she has worked in other places, she feels strongly about her Hoosier roots. There were several people who helped her when she was in school and now she gets to return the favor.
"To have that as an example and be able to do that for other people and to pay it forward, I feel so fortunate to have the experience I did as a student-athlete," Deppe said. "IU is so much of a family atmosphere."
Lorian or Lo as she is affectionally called by those around her, is the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Academic Services. Lo and Lanie were student-athletes at IU in 2003, Lanie as a walk-on with the rowing team and Lo as a member of the track and field team, where she was a two-time Big Ten Champion.
Tom Morris, Senior Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Performance pitted them against each other in a weight lifting competition that turned into a lifelong friendship.
Price said she took a leap of faith as an 18-year-old kid coming to Bloomington.
"I didn't think I was coming to IU, but to see how much it has given me, I try to give everything I have," Price said. I have so many people that invested in me. Its beyond pride, it's a sense of self and I'm so grateful and appreciative of my time as a student-athlete here because it has shaped me into who I am as a professional today. I'm not the person I am today without my experience as a student-athlete at IU."
Rebecca Pany is currently the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Sport Administration, but in 2008 she was a freshman on the field hockey team and was coached in the weight room by Lanie Deppe.
Pany suffered a career-ending injury when she fractured her back and in her senior year served as a student coach and worked in the compliance department.
Pany said in that year she learned a different perspective of leadership and how to unite people.
"I learned a lot when I wasn't able to participate," she said. "I realized I wanted to continue my career giving back to college athletics. That is what propelled me to start a career here."
Pany said she takes pride in how IU serves the student-athletes and how the staff work together.
"What I'm the most proud of is that we always put our student-athletes first," Pany said. "We always work together to get to common goals. I think that is really unique. Everyone works together in the best interests of our student-athletes and it's why I've stayed here for so long."
"A lot of my teamwork driven attitude in the department stems from building a team and a culture as a student-athlete," she added. "It's an understanding of why it's so important that it's not about you, it's about the team. Putting fourth that effort and mentality that it's more important for the whole to be successful than for one person."
The lessons they learned as student-athletes influence their careers today.
"Those mental challenges I went through as a student-athlete help me with our student-athletes today," Price said. "I really do rely on my experience I gained here at IU to help guide me."
Price said she can remember being at track practice and needing to get through the last two 200s of a workout. She pushed to give maximum effort and as she laid on the track after, there was the weight of still have to write a five-page paper.
"Being able to understand and pull from the fact that I know what they are feeling. I'm telling them to trust me that I can help them through it because I've gone through it."
Lanie added that there are plenty of mistakes they made as student-athletes and they try to help current student-athletes not make those same mistakes. They have their backs in all aspects of life.
For all three of these former IU student-athletes they beam with pride when asked about the fact that the IU Athletic Department has so many strong female leaders.
"Representation matters and it is so refreshing to see strong women in leadership roles and growing in their roles and moving beyond where they started," Price said. "It helps us coming up to know there are greater things we can achieve. Not only do we have strong women leaders, they are mentors, listeners, they are giving and caring, that is more important."
"It is one thing to see a strong woman make her own way, but to see them reaching back to lift others is important," Price added. It is really motivating and encouraging for you to be able to say I have a walking example right there in front of me. They are walking in front of me and they are leading the way and saying come with me, walk with me."
Pany said she is proud that there is a culture that supports and promotes women in IU athletics.
"It is a focus and it's important, but it's also so common," Pany said. "To me it's not really a topic and that makes me really proud."
Deppe said even in her field, which is dominated by men, she never felt alone and always had people to push her and make her better. She said sometimes females in small groups see each other as a threat, but that is not the case at IU.
"When we have so many here at IU it just keeps growing," Deppe said. "It's just part of our culture. To be part of something where it is just a normal day to see so many leaders that are women is incredible. I feel so proud to be a part of the growth and it's because of the people that came before us."
Lanie remember Mattie White, who is now Deputy Director of Athletics/Senior Women's Administrator as her academic advisor when she was in school.
Kelly Bomba is the Executive Associate Athletic Director for Administration. Kristen Borrelli is the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Compliance Services. Marcy Simpson is the Executive Associate Athletic Director and Chief Financial Officer.
All these leaders help form the family atmosphere that is so strong within the IU Athletic Department. These people are more than their titles. They have a deep investment in the success of the student-athletes they serve, on and off the playing surface.
"Our students know we aren't here just doing a job," Deppe said. "We literally want to be there for every aspect of their lives. It is an incredible sense of purpose and joy that I have. I couldn't imagine doing anything else."
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