Gather the Team: Being part of a team has been the defining moment of DeWayne Peevy’s life. Not just leading the team in his role as Deputy Director of Athletics at the University of Kentucky, but actually gathering the team and hearing opinions on a level playing field.
“I challenge my peers to share their opinion. I feel like it’s my part to motivate others, to share, and understand their opinion matters,” explains Peevy. With his extensive coordination background, it’s little surprise Peevy has taken the true meaning of team to heart.
DeWayne Peevy plays a pivotal role in the day-to-day operations of UK’s athletic programs. He joined the university as senior associate athletic director for communications after a stint on the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Final Four Media Coordination Committee and 8 years at the at the Southeastern Conference.
“I would say he’s one of the brightest I’ve been around. I trust him. As a matter of fact, he’s the only person I’ve given my schedule to,” beams UK head basketball coach, John Calipari. “He oversees my schedule. I’ve never had that outside my office, in all my years of coaching. With him, though, I felt really comfortable.”
Calipari’s confidence in Peevy has never wavered. He goes on to explain how it’s nearly impossible to rattle Peevy. It would be hard to shake the confidence of a man who helped hold so many others high.
The UK Athletic director, Mitch Barnhart, says helping people be their best seems to be his greatest strength, “His ability to communicate with people and bring them together has been very, very helpful to me.” Barnhart knows that Peevy has his entire team in mind, and not just the team members on campus, “I always tell people that toughness is about being durable and dependable and he is both of those; and then, understanding the greater good this program has for our state.”
Peevy has been impressing his peers for his entire career. The spirit of the team is alive in everything he touches. From his media relations to his relations with staff and student-athletes, helping people and letting them know they matter is an integral part of who he is as a person.
“The fight is not about how you move up in the world, it’s about how many people you help along the way,” explains Peevy. “To realize how many people you’ve helped and influenced. I feel like that’s success.”
Measuring how tall you’ve helped the people around you stand is a selfless and honorable way to measure success. We are proud to count DeWayne Peevy as one of our NEXT UP honorees.