SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – (May 31) Seattle University Athletics Associate AD Shawn Farrell has been named the Director of Athletics at Cal State San Bernardino, the University's Vice President for Student Affairs, Dr. Brian Haynes, announced Tuesday. Farrell will begin in his new position July 1.
Farrell spent nearly nine years at Seattle U and served as the department's Interim Director of Athletics from July-October of 2016.
"I want to thank President (Tomás) Morales, Dr. Haynes, Dr. (Doug) Freer and the hiring committee for this opportunity," Farrell said in CSUSB's official release. "I am very much looking forward to building a competitive athletic program that focuses on the student athletes and making sure they are successful in the classroom, in competition and in the community."
"We are so excited that Shawn Farrell, an experienced athletic administrator, will join the CSUSB team as director of athletics," Haynes said in a statement.
At Seattle U, Farrell was instrumental in the successful transition from NCAA Division II to Division I. As interim director, he oversaw the daily operations of the athletics department as well as the department capital campaign strategic plan. In addition, Farrell created new initiatives to increase student engagement and managed several successful sport programs.
Farrell, a Seattle native, received his bachelor's degree in political science, minor in marketing, from the University of Arkansas, Little Rock. Farrell also attended Sonoma State University, a fellow California Collegiate Athletic Association member, and competed on its acclaimed soccer program as a student-athlete.
He holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Washington School of Law. In addition, Farrell was a practicing lawyer for several years in Seattle before transitioning his career to athletics.