Jim Sarra

INDIANAPOLIS — UTSA Deputy Director of Athletics Jim Sarra was one of 11 senior athletics administrators to recently graduate from the NCAA Fellows Program, which is designed to address the low number of minorities and women in athletics administration.

Sarra is in his fifth year at UTSA. Prior to his current position, he served as Associate Athletics Director for External Operations from 2007-09, Associate Athletics Director for Administration from 2006-07 and Assistant Athletics Director for Compliance from 2005-06.

Sarra came to UTSA from the University of Maryland where he was a Senior Associate Athletics Director for Compliance and Student Services. Sarra was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the compliance office as well as supervision of the men’s golf program.

Prior to Maryland, he served in many different administrative roles at Washington State, Portland State, TCU, Ball State, Northwestern and St. Bonaventure.

Sarra earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and master’s degree in advanced teacher education from St. Bonaventure in 1989 and 1990, respectively. He also earned a master’s degree in sports management from Western Illinois in 1993.

The NCAA Fellows Program was developed in 1997 by the Minority Opportunities and Interests Committee and the Committee on Women’s Athletics. One of the guiding missions of the NCAA Fellows Program is to enhance career opportunities for women and people of color who seek to become athletics directors, which also further diversifies the NCAA membership. The 2008-09 NCAA Race and Demographics Report show that ethnic minorities only hold seven percent (71 out of 1,018) of the total number of athletics directors positions in Division I, II and III (excluding the Historically Black Colleges and Universities). There are a total of 205 female directors of athletics in all three divisions, which represents just 18.9 percent of the positions held.  

The Fellows Program provides specific professional experiences that enable the participants to develop their talent and abilities and mesh those skills with their professional aspirations. Each NCAA Fellow is assigned an executive mentor that provides regular interaction and career guidance over the 18-month course of the program. 

“Each year, Fellows leave this leadership program with the overall skill set and preparedness to lead as athletic directors within the NCAA,” said Charlotte Westerhaus, NCAA vice president for diversity and inclusion. “Some of the best athletic directors in the NCAA interacted with and assessed the Fellows’ readiness and they report that this group has everything needed to be successful. The next step is the crux of the matter — key campus decisions, including NCAA presidents and chancellors need to give them serious consideration when they begin the process of hiring an athletics director."

The 11 graduates of the 2009-10 class who aspire to become athletics directors are listed below.

· Lisa Campos, senior associate athletic director/senior woman administrator, UTEP; Executive Mentor: Jim Phillips, director of athletics and recreation, Northwestern
· Victoria Chun, senior associate athletics director/senior woman administrator, Colgate (selected as the 2010 Division I FCS National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators Administrator of the Year); Executive Mentor:  Pat Lyons, director of athletics, Iona
· Derek Horne, senior associate athletics director for external operations, Mississippi; Executive Mentor: Bill Bradshaw, director of athletics, Temple
· Kiki Jacobs, associate director of athletics/senior woman administrator, Oberlin; Executive Mentor: Bridget Belgiovine, director of athletics, Wellesley College
· Jim Sarra, deputy director of athletics, UTSA; Executive Mentor: Keith Tribble, director of athletics & executive vice president, University of Central Florida Athletics Association
· Tracy Scott, associate athletic director for athletic support services, Eastern Illinois; Executive Mentor: Floyd Kerr, director of athletics, Morgan State University
· Darryl Sims, assistant director of athletics, Wisconsin-Oshkosh; Executive Mentor: Robert Vowels, vice president of educational affairs, NCAA
· Allison Tookes, associate athletic director/senior woman administrator, Wayne State; Executive Mentor: Jim Naumovich, commissioner, Great Lakes Valley Conference
· Linda Van Drie-Andrzjewski, associate athletic director/senior woman administrator, Wilmington (Del.) University; Executive Mentor: Barb Schroeder, director of athletics, Regis University (retired)
· Marianne Vydra, associate athletic director/senior woman administrator, Oregon State; Executive Mentor: Tom Bowen, director of athletics, San Jose State
· Carla Wilson, senior associate athletics director for business & finance/senior woman administrator, UMKC; Executive Mentor: Bob Bowlsby, director of athletics, Stanford

NCAA Fellows graduate from the program with a better understanding of the administrative decision-making process at the senior levels in athletics administration and gain insight as to the impact of intercollegiate athletics within the institution. Participants attend the NCAA Convention, workshops, seminars and other Association-related meetings and participate in training sessions over the course of the program that include marketing, public and media relations, budgeting/fiscal management, leadership, human resource management, fundraising and strategic planning. Fellows enter the program with the support of their athletics director and university president.

A total of 56 athletics administrators have completed the Fellows Program since its inception.   Of those who have completed the program, nearly 40% are currently in senior management, holding the title of senior associate athletics director or the equivalent at NCAA colleges and universities. Several NCAA Fellows alumni are currently athletics directors at NCAA colleges and universities. They include:  Marcella Zalot (Colby College); Floyd Kerr (Morgan State); Tracey Ranieri (SUNY-Oneonta); Wheeler Brown (North Carolina A&T); and Gerald Young (Carleton College). Dell Robinson, commissioner of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, is also a Fellows alumnus.