Julie Sullivan has appointed Heather M. Owen to be the next Broncos director of athletics.
Takeaway Points
- Julie Sullivan has appointed Heather M. Owen to be the next Broncos director of athletics.
- Owen will assume leadership of Santa Clara Athletics effective September 17, and will succeed Renee Baumgartner, who served nine years in the role before stepping down on June 30.
Who did Julie Sullivan appointed to lead Santa Clara Athletics?
Santa Clara University in a press-release on Thursday, announced that its President Julie Sullivan, has appointed Heather M. Owen J.D. ’03, Stanford University deputy athletics director/SWA (Senior Woman Administrator), as the next Broncos director of athletics. Owen, who earned a J.D. from Santa Clara University’s School of Law, is a former student-athlete and WNBA player and is an accomplished athletics administrator who has risen rapidly in positions of responsibility at Stanford Athletics over the past 15 years.
Owen will assume leadership of Santa Clara Athletics effective September 17 and will succeed Renee Baumgartner, who served nine years in the role before stepping down on June 30 to return home to Oregon to attend to family health issues, Santa Clara said.
Santa Clara University President Julie Sullivan said, “We are in a transformative moment for college athletics overall, and several important qualities stood out that make Heather the ideal person to lead Santa Clara Athletics. She has high academic and athletic aspirations for her student-athletes, and the experience, commitment, and track record to support them in attaining both. Her success as a student-athlete and WNBA player reveals her competitive nature and commitment to excellence. As a leader, she has the smarts and strategic and operational acumen needed to achieve it—and, importantly, the candor, calm, and trustworthiness required to successfully manage the challenges faced in building a highly competitive program. In Heather, we have found the perfect fit.”
Heather M. Owen commented about her appointment, saying, “I am a proud Bronco with deep ties to the Bay Area, and am excited by the opportunity to lead Santa Clara Athletics, an outstanding program that, like the University, has been on the rise and recognized nationally for its excellence and growth trajectory. I couldn’t be more thrilled to assume this leadership position and work with an incredible Bronco community of coaches, staff, student-athletes, alumni, and the University overall to continue the ascent and help define what an outstanding athletics program can be for the Bronco family.”
Santa Clara coaches like Herb Sendek, Jerry Smith, and Gina Carbonatto spoke highly of Owen’s appointment.
Veteran men’s basketball coach entering his ninth season with the Broncos, Herb Sendek, commented, “I am thrilled that Heather Owen has been selected to lead Santa Clara Athletics as our new athletic director. She has outstanding drive and passion and possesses all of the qualities needed to propel our department in the right direction for the future. Her commitment to the excellence and holistic well-being of our student-athletes makes her a tremendous choice to lead Santa Clara Athletics.”
Jerry Smith, one of just three coaches in NCAA Division I history with more than 500 wins, said, “I am excited about Heather Owen becoming our next athletic director. As an alumna, she understands what’s special about the Santa Clara community. Heather is passionate and brings tremendous energy and a firm belief we can win national championships in sports across the board. I am enthusiastic about her leadership, and believe all our coaches and Bronco student-athletes will feel the same way.”
About Santa Clara Athletics
With 20 intercollegiate sports, Santa Clara’s NCAA Division I teams have a history of excellence in the West Coast Conference and on the national stage, with student-athletes going on to become All-Americans, Olympians, World Cup Champions, and Hall of Famers. Bronco student-athletes compete in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, beach volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s rowing, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s track, volleyball and men’s and women’s water polo.
About Santa Clara University
Founded in 1851, Santa Clara University sits in the heart of Silicon Valley—the world’s most innovative and entrepreneurial region. The University’s stunningly landscaped 106-acre campus is home to the historic Mission Santa Clara de Asís. Ranked among the top 15 percent of national universities by U.S. News & World Report, SCU has among the best four-year graduation rates in the nation and is rated by PayScale in the top 1 percent of universities with the highest-paid graduates. SCU has produced elite levels of Fulbright Scholars, as well as four Rhodes Scholars. With undergraduate programs in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, and graduate programs in six disciplines, the curriculum blends high-tech innovation with social consciousness grounded in the tradition of Jesuit, Catholic education. scu.edu.
