San Diego State’s Sterk to become new Athletic Director at MU

As first reported on Monday afternoon by Bill Pollock of the MissouriNet, San Diego State University Athletic Director Jim Sterk will be hired as the replacement for the departed Mack Rhoades at the University of Missouri.  The 60-year old Sterk has had an extremely successful seven-year run at SDSU, and was recently named AD Of the Year by the National Association of College Director of Athletics.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Sterk could be inline for a salary that will nearly double at Mizzou, from a current base of $315,000 to the potential of $600,000-plus at Mizzou.  Rhoades, who left last month for the open AD position at Baylor, was making $600,000 per year at Mizzou.

Highlighting Sterk’s work at San Diego State is the sustained success of Steve Fisher’s men’s basketball program, as the Aztecs have sold out 72 consecutive home games.  Attendance and on-the-court product have been poor at Missouri in recent years, particularly after the departure of Frank Haith to the University of Tulsa two years ago, leaving the Tiger program in dire straights under his replacement, Kim Anderson.

Before being hired at San Diego State, Sterk was Athletic Director at Portland State University and Washington State University.

Photo credit – SDSU.edu NewsCenter / Jim Sterk