LBHS Photo
Lord Botetourt High School has a new athletic director, and just in time. Candace Underwood was approved for the position last week with school already in session.
Underwood didn’t have to go far to move her stuff. She’s been a Health and Physical Education teacher in the county for 26 years and has moved her office from the LB gym to the AD digs high above the high school basketball court.
“I’m so very excited to be the new athletic director for Lord Botetourt,” she said. “I consider it such a privilege to be chosen to lead a school with such a strong tradition of success.”
Underwood has a solid background in high school athletics. A 1994 graduate of Glenvar High School, she was a member of the volleyball, softball and cheer teams for the Highlanders. She then studied at Virginia Tech and graduated in 1998.
Candace came to Lord Botetourt High School in 2001. She coached JV volleyball for the first three years then moved into the varsity head coaching job until 2008 when she stepped away to spend more time with her young children. In more recent years she has been serving the past two seasons as the assistant coach on the Unified Track team. As AD, she will no longer be a teacher.
“It was bittersweet for me, after having spent the past 26 years teaching to leave the classroom,” she said. “But I’m excited to begin a new chapter working with student athletes in a new capacity.”
Underwood replaces Tim Fulton, who resigned to take a similar position at Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy. Fulton left the position in mid-July after four years on the job. Fulton replaced popular AD Chuck Pound, who retired following the 2021-22 school year. Pound made the transition easy for Fulton, and Tim hoped to do the same for his successor despite the timing of the move. Candace was planning for the school athletic year even before she was officially confirmed.
“It is certainly a busy time of year right now with all of the fall sports starting up the week I began, but Mr. Fulton left things ready to go for me to just jump right in and hit the ground running,” she said. “I spent the past two years serving as his assistant so that really helped prepare me for the job ahead. I’m also very thankful to have amazing people supporting me in the building. My administration, bookkeepers, coaches and co-workers have been so helpful. We truly have a great team and that makes the job even better.
“I am looking forward to seeing all the exciting accomplishments this upcoming school year will bring for our student athletes, coaches, school and community.”
