June 29, 2011
SAN DIEGO, Calif. -
By SCOTT BAIR, North County Times
A running joke around San Diego State is that the Aztecs lead the nation in hiring athletic directors. Jim Sterk became the fourth permanent AD hired since 2003 early last year, and two of the previous three resigned amid scandal.
The last was by far the ugliest, ending with Jeff Schemmel under investigation for using state university funds to finance a sexual tryst with a married woman. The story went national and Schemmel was raked through the mud, sullying the university's reputation in the process.
That dark period has given way to brighter days. Just 19 months later, the Aztecs are a point of pride in the community, riding a wave of positive press following the best athletic year in recent memory.
The football team went 9-4 and won a bowl game for the first time since 1969.
The men's basketball team had its best season ever, compiling a 34-3 record en route to the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16. Men's golf and softball qualified for NCAA tournaments and three other programs made the postseason.
Those accomplishments held center stage thanks to a supportive administration led by new athletic director Jim Sterk, a boy scout who has brought calm to a historically volatile department. In doing so, he may have woke a sleeping giant, too.
His plan was to create a support system that was felt by individual programs, not heard about in the press. Before he left Washington State for better climates in Feb. 2010, he saw an athletic department in desperate need of a calming influence. Sterk has provided that.
"Jim is an experienced pro. ... He is thoughtful, calm and trustworthy," said San Diego State president Stephen Weber, who is retiring this summer. "Those qualities have brought a level of stability and focus to the department that it has not enjoyed in many years.
"Jim confidently picked up leadership of our athletics programs in a period of disappointment and immediately started moving forward. I have been impressed, but not surprised, by the progress he has made."
Sterk believes the 2010-11 athletic year is not a high point, but a foundation for continued success and community involvement.
"When I came in, I saw the need for stability," he said. "There (was) a great group of coaches already here, but the key was to give them the support and freedom to flourish. They've certainly done that.
"We've made progress, but we're not where we want to be yet. We obviously had a good year, but I don't want this to be a one-time thing. I believe the program has the potential to compete for championships each and every year."
Sterk is not a glass-half-full personality. He says it's always three-fourths full, but don't mistake optimism for blind faith. He understands progress comes through quality coaching, facilities improvement and the resources generated by a passionate fan base.
He's working on all three.
The first step is keeping his people around. He's close to a three-year contract extension for baseball coach Tony Gwynn ---- it should be finalized in the next few weeks ---- retaining a quality coach who doubles as ambassador for the university. Sterk is also in discussions to extend the contract of basketball coach Steve
Fisher and should do so by the end of summer.
He acted so quickly in replacing departed football coach Brady Hoke with defensive coordinator Rocky Long ---- to retain both momentum and continuity within the program ---- that the Aztecs didn't lose a single commitment. He also hired a coach that doesn't view the position as a stepping stone and believes the program can make bowl games an annual occurrence.
He's giving his people improved facilities, renovating the football practice field, the multi-purpose field next to it and improving the athletics weight room.
The final component --- maybe the most difficult in such a band wagon town ---- is keeping the community involved.
"The next thing is building on our momentum and creating a fun, collegiate atmosphere that can get the community involved every year," Sterk said. "I want to bring back traditions and further create pride in the university by getting the students and the fanbase involved even more involved than they already are."
It hasn't become routine yet, but community support is on the rise. Football season tickets are up 2,000 over last year, when it increased annual attendance by roughly 10,000. Men's basketball has secured 900 additional season-ticket deposits from a season ago, when the Aztecs outdrew UCLA and USC.
Lifetime memberships in the alumni association are on an upswing, as is fundraising across campus, proving how powerful a winner can be.
Sterk is uncomfortable taking full credit for the department's success, saying he didn't call a play or throw a touchdown pass, but he feels a responsibility to do whatever possible to put those players and coaches in position to succeed.
"Jim is the first person to joke about the extraordinary success of his first year at SDSU, but ---- as is appropriate ---- he then quickly credits coaches and staff for the good work that brought about that success," Weber said. "I will say that good leadership creates an environment in which people can do their best and are motivated to do so.
"Jim has accomplished that; I expect Aztec athletics to continue to develop and improve."
