Shawn Farrell joined the Seattle University staff in July of 2008. Farrell served as the department's Interim Director of Athletics from July-October of 2016. In his current role, Farrell oversees the daily operations of the athletics department.
Since his hire in 2008, Farrell has had a hand in all aspects of operations of the athletics department; with his most recent duties focusing on the athletics department capital campaign vision and strategy, supervision of the daily operations of men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, the student-athlete academic support unit and compliance with all NCAA and university rules and regulations.
Farrell has served on several NCAA and university committees, including the NCAA Women’s Soccer Committee, Seattle University Climate Study Working Group and Seattle University Athletics Advisory Board. He is a graduate of the Sports Management Institute sponsored by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics. SMI is a seven-month graduate level business program which includes 10 total days (a seven-day summer session and a three-day winter session) in a residence program for executive level college athletic administrators.
Prior to coming to Seattle University, Farrell worked for University of Washington Athletics for several years, where he oversaw several initiatives, focusing on student-athlete enrollment, academics and NCAA compliance.
Farrell began his professional career as an attorney with the Seattle law firms, Helsell Fetterman and Lee Smart in addition to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
While in law school at the University of Washington, Farrell was the legal and marketing liaison for the organizing committee at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. Farrell was a soccer student-athlete at Sonoma State University prior to receiving his degree in political science from the University of Arkansas-Little Rock.