UTEP Director of Athletics Jim Senter

Jim Senter was named UTEP’s Director of Athletics on Nov. 22, 2017 and currently serves as Vice President and Director of Athletics.

To say that Senter has been busy since arriving in the Sun City would be quite the understatement. He has hired head coaches for football (Dana Dimel), men’s basketball (Joe Golding), men’s golf (Aaron Puetz), women’s golf (Steve Sims), rifle (Andrea Palafox), soccer (Kathryn Balogun), volleyball (Ben Wallis) and softball (T.J. Hubbard). With a firm belief that “Every Person Makes a Difference,” Senter has engaged Miner supporters far and wide. He organized a series of Town Hall meetings across El Paso, and established UTEP’s first-ever Fan Council. He ushered in sweeping changes to the iconic Sun Bowl Stadium, with the addition of indoor and outdoor club seating, loge boxes, suites, the GECU Terrace, Hunt Family Sky Lounge and Paul and Alejandra Foster Tower. He also orchestrated the addition of UTEP’s 17th Division I sport, beach volleyball, which is scheduled to start competing in the spring of 2023.

On the field, highlights from the Senter era have included the football team earning its first bowl appearance in seven years, volleyball reaching postseason play for the first time ever, women’s cross country capturing its first conference championship, and women’s track and field winning the Conference USA Indoor title. In 2022, a schoolrecord 207 UTEP student-athletes made the Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll (minimum 3.0 GPA), and 65 Miners were recipients of C-USA Academic Medals (minimum 3.75 GPA).

Senter served as Director of Intercollegiate Athletics at The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, from 2014- 17. During that time he hired head coaches in football, men’s basketball, baseball, soccer and volleyball.

Senter’s fundraising efforts resulted in significant improvements being made to the football, basketball and baseball facilities. He grew scholarship endowment by nearly $6 million in cash and pledges over three years. His total fundraising numbers set school records.

Senter grew football attendance by more than 3,000 spectators per game, and the Bulldogs led the Southern Conference in attendance. They posted a 10-win season in 2016 and a nine-victory campaign in 2015. Academically, 174 Bulldog student-athletes garnered placement on the Southern Conference Honor Roll in 2017. The year prior, The Citadel produced two CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) Academic All-Americans. Senter went to The Citadel after spending seven years (2006- 13) at the University of Colorado, where he worked his way up to Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Operations. Senter was the sport supervisor for the Colorado football, skiing, men’s and women’s golf programs. He also had supervision over the Chief Marketing Officer and numerous other areas including facilities, sports medicine, sports performance, game and event management and equipment services. He began his tenure at Colorado as Associate AD for Development. In that role, his responsibilities included all fundraising efforts, including the annual fund (student-athlete scholarships), major gifts and coordinating all donation-related activities and staff. He was later elevated to Associate Athletic Director. Before Colorado, Senter served as Associate Athletic Director for Development/Senior Associate AD for External Sales at San Diego State for 18 months. Aligned closely with the University foundation, he was responsible for overseeing the athletic department’s development efforts, including major gifts. He spent 2003-05 as Director of Athletics at Idaho State University, a 16-sport Division I-AA program. He engineered a 19 percent increase in football attendance and a $600,000 leap in advertising, marketing and corporate sales. Senter began his college athletic career at the University of Idaho. After working as assistant head football coach and recruiting coordinator, he branched out into the administrative side. He served as Assistant and Associate Athletic Director of Development from 1998-2003 in a chief fundraising capacity. He was responsible for the university’s Capital Campaign for Athletics, helping raise money for a $13 million athletic facility expansion. He also ran the annual fund for Vandal athletics, overseeing the work of 48 national directors and planning the fiscal budget. During his coaching days, Senter was in charge of the defensive line, linebackers and secondary. He was a part of Idaho’s run to a 52-21 record over seven seasons and six NCAA playoff appearances. Senter began his coaching career at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas, where he was a student assistant in 1981 and 1982. He later held that role at his alma mater, the University of Tulsa, from 1983-85 before moving on to Idaho. Senter earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Tulsa in 1985, and added a master’s degree in recreation from Idaho in 1992 while serving on the football coaching staff. He was born in Doylestown, Pa., and graduated from Jay (Okla.) High School where he was a football letter winner. He is married to the former Susan Beck and the couple has four children -- Shawna, Derick, Matthew and Samantha.