Julie Sullivan Appoints Heather M. Owen to Lead Santa Clara Athletics

Santa Clara University President Julie Sullivan announced today the appointment of 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.

Sullivan cited Owen’s values-based approach to supporting student-athletes, experience with multiple aspects of athletics administration, and proven leadership accomplishment as key factors in her appointment.

“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,” said Sullivan. “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.”

Owen looks forward to rejoining the Bronco family at a pivotal moment in its trajectory.

“I am a proud Bronco with deep ties to the Bay Area, and I 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,” said Owen. “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.”

Owen joined Stanford Athletics in 2008 and has served in a wide range of positions that include leading the department’s development efforts, serving as a sport administrator for women’s basketball, football, men’s golf, women’s golf, and field hockey, and overseeing student-athlete support services, such as athletic training, physical therapy, sport psychology, sports nutrition, and sports performance. She was a standout basketball student-athlete at Stanford and a two-time Pac-10 All-Academic selection who helped lead the Cardinal to three NCAA Final Four appearances. Owen played professionally in the WNBA and abroad in France, while also pursuing a law degree from Santa Clara, which she earned in 2003. She worked for four years as a practicing attorney before entering athletics administration.

Santa Clara coaches Herb Sendek, Jerry Smith, and Gina Carbonatto spoke highly of Owen’s selection.

“I am thrilled that Heather Owen has been selected to lead Santa Clara Athletics as our new athletic director,” said veteran men’s basketball coach Sendek, entering his ninth season with the Broncos. “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.”

“I am excited about Heather Owen becoming our next athletic director,” said Smith, one of just three coaches in NCAA Division I history with more than 500 wins. “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.”

“I am so thrilled that Heather Owen will be our new athletics director,” said Carbonatto, who is entering her sixth season as the head coach of the softball program. “Heather is sharp, motivated, and prepared to take us into this new era of college athletics. I cannot wait to see the influence and leadership she has on our wonderful coaches, staff, and student-athletes.”

Owen joins Santa Clara Athletics at a time of strong growth and accomplishment:

• Women’s soccer is a national powerhouse with 33 NCAA Tournament appearances, 12 College Cups, and two National Championship titles (2001, 2020).
• Men’s soccer has won 14 West Coast Conference titles, including the 2023 season.
• Men’s basketball is in the midst of one of their best runs in program history with six straight winning seasons, including back-to-back postseason appearances, and was one of just five programs in the nation to have a player selected in the top 20 picks of the first round in both the 2022 and 2023 NBA Drafts.
• Baseball captured the 2023 WCC Baseball Tournament title for their first conference title since 1997 and advanced to the NCAA Regional in Fayetteville, Ark.
• Women’s basketball has made 13 postseason appearances, including last season where they won their first game of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT), giving them their first postseason victory since 1992.
• Volleyball competes among the nation’s best with 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, including 13 in the last 23 seasons.
• Santa Clara student-athletes have continued to excel academically over the past few years, with a cumulative 3.3 GPA and most recently a 97 percent graduation rate.
• Outstanding facilities include the construction of the $37 million Stephen C. and Patricia A. Schott Athletic Excellence Center, the soon-to-be-completed $2.5 million Wipfler Family Golf Facility, as well as major renovations to the Leavey Center, Stephen Schott Stadium, and Stevens Stadium.

Owen will assume leadership of Santa Clara Athletics effective September 17. She and her wife Maggie are the proud parents of a three-year-old son. Owen succeeds 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.

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.

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