Hilltopper Athletics begins a new chapter and welcomes Jim Sarrá, Ph.D., as the new athletics director, following Debbie Taylor’s retirement after 34 years in the hilltop and 22 years as director of the department. Sarrá comes into the position with 30 years of experience, ranging from roles as assistant director of athletics to academic coordinator for student athletes.
“When you look at my experience it is pretty well rounded, meaning that I did just about everything you can do in an athletics department,” Sarrá said.
Before coming to St. Edward’s University, Sarrá provided strategic assistance to the athletic department at Western Illinois University and served as a professor of sports management. Sarrá created projects for his students based on his previous experience at several other collegiate athletic programs. He provided insight and guidance with the expansion of various programs at universities in Texas and Alaska. Through teaching, he realized that he wanted to use his knowledge in the field to continue his career in athletics rather than in the classroom.
“I love what I do, I love being in college athletics, but I didn’t love being a faculty member,” Sarrá said. “I liked it, but it wasn’t the day to day passion that I felt for it.”
His passion for athletics and education began at a very young age. Sarrá was a high school athlete and was recruited to play college football, where he majored in elementary education. From there, his path diverted towards a career in collegiate athletics through graduate programs in sports management and leadership. Sarrá started as an academic coordinator, guided by his passion for the field and his understanding of the importance of receiving high quality education.
“It is extremely important to me that our students excel both academically and athletically,” Sarrá said. “Four areas that I am really focusing on are academics, athletics, social and spiritual, and St. Edward’s gives you all four of them.”
Sarrá seeks to make an impact not only within the athletics department, but to also create a lasting effect on the way that student athletes navigate their lives and careers. As he has seen athletic departments from multiple perspectives, his goal is to support the student athletes in every aspect and create a space in which they can not only be successful academically, but to be leaders in their community and grow as individuals.
“I want to make sure that we do everything we can to make sure that they are successful in everything,” Sarrá said. “I know that our student athletes do really well here, but what do we need to do to keep them at that level, and if they are not doing well, what can we help them with?”
His goals for the department are deeply related to his core values and the leadership style he has developed through the years. Despite having worked in several other universities and departments, his transition into the hilltop has been smooth, since his values are extremely similar to the ones of the university. To him, the pillars of this university and of his character are what makes it so easy to establish a clear goal for the future.
“When you look at the integrity, honesty, work ethic and everything that this institution is about;, transforming people, helping them grow, that is really how I want our athletics department to be viewed,” Sarrá said. “I want us to contribute and collaborate with the rest of the university as much as possible. It is really about one goal, and that is to advance St. Edward’s.”
Along with seeing a vast potential based on what this institution is about, Sarrá sees the power that lies in the small student body. To him, that creates the foundation for a department that can easily support each other and give back to the community, not only within the university but in Austin as a whole. He also seeks to engage with the student body and be a positive influence on them, providing guidance and support.
“I will visit with each team individually, I’ll try to attend practices and games just to be visible and let them know I’m here,” Sarrá said. “My goal is to know each one of them at least by first name.”
Sarrá’s tenure may have just started, but he has ambitious plans for the future of the department and for the university’s community as a whole. He highlights initiatives to solidify a consistent student body turnout at athletics events, to improve facilities and to establish a connection between athletes and the rest of the student population. His long term goals are to be top three in every sport, to see the students continue to excel academically and to have all of the student athletes graduate from this institution.
“There are some really good things that are starting to happen, that have always been happening,” Sarrá said. “Debbie (Taylor) set the table, she pretty much built the house, and it’s now my turn to add a second story to it, maybe even a third.”
