Shea Ralph's husband, Tom Garrick, was a sitting Division I head coach when he joined her at Vanderbilt, and they operate their coaching duties as a partnership rather than a hierarchical structure.

Shea Ralph's leadership principle, which she calls 'I am the weather,' posits that her demeanor and energy directly set the tone for her team's environment.

Shea Ralph believes that to build a dynasty in the current era of college sports, which includes NIL and the transfer portal, the core strategy must be building strong relationships to retain athletes.