STERLING ADMINISTRATION DR. SCOTT RICH
PRESIDENT
Scott Rich has been Sterling College’s president since 2013. Rich joined the College in 2008, serving as chief financial officer where he provided leadership and oversaw finance, human resources, physical plant among other obligations, before being inaugurated as Sterling’s 12th president. Under Rich’s leadership, Sterling has completed its 20112015 strategic plan and has launched“Guard & Guide”, the strategic plan that will propel Sterling into 2020.
He brings with him rich understanding of budget and production management and financial reporting which has helped better manage the institution’s DOE financial ratios, investments and endowments, and internal and external audits. Rich chairs the budget council and serves as the institution’s treasurer. He has served on the president’s cabinet, strategic planning task force, emergency preparedness committee, HLC reaccreditation committee and the campus security committee. Rich holds a master’s in business administration from Liberty University and a doctorate in education from North Central University. He and his wife, Kathy, are actively involved in their local church. They have three sons.
Previous to the College, Rich has served in a variety of leadership and management roles in both the for-profit and non-profit world.
SCOTT DOWNING
VP OF ATHLETICS Scott Downing ’79 is is in his second year as Sterling’s vice president for athletics. In his role at Sterling, Downing’s responsibilities include providing the strategic vision for Warrior Athletics and fundraising support to allow Sterling to consistently compete for championships. He provides long-range planning for Warrior Athletics and ensure compliance with the rules and regulations governing the operation of the athletic programs. Downing oversees an athletic department that features 18 teams and over 300 studentathletes. Downing comes to Sterling from Liberty University where he currently serves as special teams coordinator for their football team. He brings over 30 years of coaching 6 | 2020 Football Media Guide
experience at the highest collegiate levels, including seven as head coach. Downing and Justin Morris ’00 form the Warrior Athletics’ executive leadership team. Downing returned to his alma mater where he started his football coaching career in 1980 as the offensive line coach. In 1982, he was named head football coach at Sterling, becoming the youngest head coach in the nation. During his two seasons at the helm of the Warriors’ program, Sterling posted a 13-4-1 record and received the program’s first-ever NAIA top-20 national ranking. Stops in Downing’s coaching career include at the University of Nebraska, the University of Wyoming and Purdue University, head coach at the University of Northern Colorado for five seasons followed by moving on to the University of Tulsa as assistant head coach. Prior to joining the staff at Liberty University, Downing served as special teams coordinator for the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts. Downing holds a B.A. in History from Sterling College. He and his wife, Karen, have three children, Matthew, Andrew and Zachary.
