On Monday afternoon, news broke that Missouri was set to hire San Diego State Athletic Director Jim Sterk. We talked with Ruben Meza, the publisher of Aztec Sports Report covering SDSU for Rivals.com, about Mizzou's pending hire.
Big picture, how big a loss is Jim Sterk for San Diego State?
Ruben Meza: It’s a huge loss, especially when you consider the timing of it all. SDSU’s already small chance of earning a spot in the Big 12 conference is now likely over (although the next AD may have something to say about that). Sterk leaving is, to many people in San Diego, a telling sign that a potential move was, in his mind, unlikely to happen. Obviously, Missouri's athletic program, history, tradition, athletic budget, his pay raise and many other factors played a big role in his decision to sign with MU - I don’t want to take anything away from that - but you’d be hard pressed to believe why an AD would leave a school if he truly felt that his program could make a landmark move such as joining the Big 12’s upcoming expansion. It would be huge for his career and I’m sure a pay raise would come in due time if something like that (again, it was already a long shot to begin with) were to ever happen.
Losing Sterk also hurts both in the short term and in the long run. He was just appointed to the NCAA Div. I Men’s Basketball Selection Committee this spring and will begin his five-year term starting this September, and the football program is right in the thick of figuring out its next step with a potential home stadium and where they fit into conference realignment. The stadium topic is especially interesting at this point in time, though. SDSU currently shares Qualcomm Stadium with the San Diego Chargers and while there are a number of ideas, options and plans in place, nothing can be put into action until the Chargers’ new stadium situation gets settled. The thought was that Sterk and the University would act immediately once the Chargers’ set forth an official plan, but all of that can be thrown out until a new AD is hired. Then there is all of the success SDSU athletics has had since Sterk took over in 2010 that makes this news an even greater loss. The Aztecs have had 55 teams participate in NCAA Championships and the school has earned 32 Mountain West conference titles since 2012. The numbers speak for themselves.
If you could give me the two things you think Sterk does really well and then two areas where you have heard some criticisms of him.
RM: His persona is very endearing for a guy that doesn’t go out of his way to give comments or statements or give bold claims. All the moves he makes will be announced with generic, cut-and-dried press releases but his interactions through the media always come across very genuine and for the betterment of the program.Another thing he does well is make the best out of what’s available to him. Again, San Diego State’s budget is nothing compared to that of programs in conferences with lucrative TV contracts. He’s been involved in a number of renovations for the athletic facilities and even a major upgrade was made last year when the basketball program received a $15 million dollar practice facility. That said, some fans felt he never came off as much of a promoter for the program and more resources could have been used on drawing in the local community to support the athletic program more. Most notably, he launched a “Rise to 25” campaign in 2014 which promised a better fan experience at games and increased attendance but nothing really ever came of it. San Diegans are just now starting to see investments being put into action with increased events, creative promotions such as billboards and so on but a lot of that arguably has more to do with the hype surrounding this year’s talent-heavy team. His actions could change with more resources coming his way at MU, however. The other major criticism he faced was when SDSU “committed” itself to joining the Big East before it crumpled. Sterk spoke a little too highly of the Big East and seemingly tried to erase the Mountain West from SDSU’s memory. He even publicly stated that he stopped communicating with the Mountain West for months once SDSU accepted the Big East’s invite, only for his program to come crawling back with an egg on its face (a fan’s description) with the help of Boise State. That forced SDSU into a bad TV deal with a small share of revenue and little guarantees, putting them in a literally poor situation they still face to this day.
What were Sterk's big hires at SDSU? How have they worked out?
RM: Once Brady Hoke was hired away by Michigan, SDSU was desperate to keep its momentum going and Sterk made the best choice by promoting then- defensive coordinator Rocky Long. He has stabilized the program with a tough-minded culture and the team has had success year in and year out ever since (albeit with an occasional hiccup or two). The football program has reached five consecutive bowl games.
Conversely, the hiring of women’s basketball coach Stacie Terry hasn’t really panned out since former head coach Beth Burns left the program in 2013. The once dominant program in the MW hasn’t cracked .500 ever since.
Are you surprised by this move or did you expect him to leave for a Power Five school?
RM: I’m not surprised by the move, just with the timing. I mean, he was recently named the Under Armour AD of the Year by NACDA, and his success at SDSU was bound to lead him toward a P5 program at some point. But I figured that would happen once the conference realignment and stadium situations cleared up a bit. The more I digest the news, though, and the more I look into the opportunity for him at Missouri, I don’t blame him one bit. I don’t think anyone in the San Diego State scene does.
Sterk's career has mostly been on the West Coast. Do you see challenges moving to the Midwest?
RM: We’re all going to find out together, but for the most part I see him transitioning to that setting rather well. He’s a professional and I expect him to present himself very favorably right from the start.
I should also note that one thing you should expect right from the jump is that Sterk won’t shake things up from an administrative standpoint within the athletic department right away. He may bring some new faces with him over time, but don’t expect to see any dramatic shifts or major decisions ordered until he gets a feel for his new position.
Mizzou has had some major turmoil in the last year. In times of crisis, what was Sterk's management style and is he a guy that handles adversity well?
RM: SDSU hasn’t had anything even close to what Mizzou went through last year, PR wise at least, but know that Sterk isn’t one to take controversial stances very often and I doubt he’ll ever ruffle any feathers as an AD. But when it does come down to making tough decisions or handling adversity, he’s not an AD that will make knee-jerk reactions just because he’s feeling some heat under his seat. My guess is that his networking and relationships will grow over time out there in Columbia and the respect he gains during that span will set him up for success when something significant to the school/community needs to be addressed.
