Santa Clara Athletic Director Heather Owen Reflects on Leadership, Humility, and Growth during Leavey Spotlight Series
“You know you can do hard things.”
For Heather M. Owen, Director of Athletics at 91¶ÌÊÓƵ, that mindset has shaped a career defined by reinvention - from student-athlete to professional athlete, from law to leadership in Division I athletics.
In a candid discussion with Interim Dean Naren Agrawal as part of Leavey’s Spotlight series - an ongoing opportunity for faculty and staff to come together and learn more about the work and journeys of colleagues - Owen reflected on the experiences that shaped her path and the lessons she continues to carry forward as a leader.
The conversation opened with a panel of Leavey student-athletes from the women’s basketball program, who offered a compelling look at the intersection of athletics and business education. Graduate students Emma Shaffer (MS in Marketing, MBA) and Lauren Grover (MS in Sports Business), along with undergraduate marketing majors Aniya Hooker and Ava Schmidt, described the discipline required for both as deeply interconnected - each reinforcing the focus, resilience, and accountability needed to perform at a high level.
Their reflections on teamwork echoed that same philosophy, underscoring a shared respect for one another’s contributions and a collective mindset that extends beyond the court. As Heather M. Owen joined the conversation, she joked that the student panel was a “tough act to follow.”
Owen’s career has taken an unconventional path. A standout student-athlete at Stanford, where she helped lead the program to multiple Final Four appearances, she went on to play professionally in the WNBA and abroad before pursuing a law degree at Santa Clara and beginning her career as an associate at a corporate law firm. After several years in practice, she made the decision to step away and return to athletics - accepting a significantly more junior role on a collegiate basketball staff in order to reenter the field.
It was in that moment, she shared, that she had to remind herself: “You know you can do hard things - it’s just about taking that step and going for it.” The decision defied expectations, but reinforced a belief that growth often requires humility and a willingness to start again.
Much of that perspective traces back to her time playing under Tara VanDerveer, whose coaching style paired direct, often difficult feedback with deep personal investment. Over time, Owen came to see that feedback not as criticism, but as a signal of belief - an expectation that she was capable of more.
She carried those lessons into her professional career, where the realities of competing at the highest levels brought a different kind of clarity. “You are a commodity in a system,” she said, describing the experience of seeing teammates come and go overnight. The lesson was both sobering and formative, underscoring the discipline and resilience required to earn - and keep - your place.
And yet, when asked what she has enjoyed most, Owen pointed back to her undergraduate years as a student-athlete. “Those are the greatest years,” she said, reflecting on the unique combination of competition, community, and personal growth that defines the experience.
Together, the conversation offered a broader reflection on leadership - one shaped not by titles or roles, but by a willingness to grow, support others, and contribute to something larger than oneself.
