Jim Jarrett, the Old Dominion University athletic Director who helped put the school’s women’s sports activities applications on the nationwide map died final week at 88 years previous.
Jarrett was ODU’s athletic director for 40 years, in keeping with his obituary. Under his management, ODU turned the primary college in Virginia and one of many first within the nation to supply athletic scholarships for girls.
It turned the college into a basketball powerhouse by luring high recruits like All-Americans Nancy Liberman, Inge Nisssen and Anne Donovan.
While Jarret was Athletic Director, ODU gained three nationwide championships in women’s basketball, 9 nationwide championships in area hockey, 15 in crusing and the boys’s basketball group gained the 1975 Division 2 National Championship.
“I can tell you that no one would know who I am were it not for Jim Jarrett,” Liberman mentioned in a university press release.
“He did something no one else did before, he treated us as equals. From the uniforms to practice time. He was non-apologetic for wanting to treat women as individuals. He was so proud of us. He loved all the programs, but we (the women’s basketball team) stole his heart.”
During Jarrett’s 4 a long time at ODU, the college made a number of main investments in athletics buildings too.
The record contains the Bud Metheny Baseball advanced, the ODU crusing middle, the ODU soccer stadium and workplace advanced, the Jim Jarrett Athletic Administration Building and the ODU boat home.
The college additionally made enhancements to the Folkes-Stevens Indoor Tennis Center. Jarrett was an avid tennis participant, his obituary says.
After his retirement in 2010, Jarrett mentioned his largest accomplishments at ODU wasn’t simply successful information or new buildings.
“There have been many successes for our program over my 40 years, but significant ones for me personally include the graduation rate of our student-athletes, national championships, our overall Division I success, and leadership role in women’s athletics, the development of our athletic venues and the ODU Sports Hall of Fame, our long standing rivalry in women’s basketball with Pat Summitt and the Tennessee Lady Vols and the accomplishments of Beth Anders and our field hockey program,” Jarrett mentioned, in keeping with the college’s press launch asserting his demise.
Jarrett’s profitable athletics applications had pleasant rivalries nearer to residence, too. Former Virginia Commonwealth University Athletic Director Dick Sander paid his respects to Jarrett on social media.
“VCU and ODU were big rivals, but we respected each other,” Sander wrote. “The rivalry made each applications higher.”
Jarrett’s household is amassing memorial presents to the Dr. James Jarrett Athletic Scholarship at the Old Dominion Athletic Foundation in Jarrett’s honor.