Sonoma State athletics is set to begin a new chapter with the hiring of Joan McDermott as the school’s new interim athletics director after cutting sports last year.
McDermott, who retired from the University of San Francisco in 2022, where she had been the athletic director of the Division I program since 2016, said she has always admired Sonoma State for its strong academic and athletic reputation and wanted the opportunity to help bring athletics back in a way that supports the university.
“I’d love for athletics to come back,” McDermott told the Star in an exclusive interview Monday. “But it has to be the right way, and my hope is that it really helps uplift the university.”
McDermott was USF’s eighth AD since 1961. Prior to joining the “Hilltop,” she oversaw Division II programs at Cal State East Bay and Metropolitan State University of Denver. She also coached women’s volleyball at Metro State and Saint Mary’s.
A four-time letter winner on the USF women’s volleyball team, McDermott earned her B.A. in sociology/physical education there. She later earned a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from Stanford.
McDermott said her experience will help her at SSU make informed decisions about what athletics could look like in the future, including which sports to offer, hiring the right staff, and managing the department’s budget efficiently.
“With all my past experience, I think that will help in making decisions on what athletics look like,” she said. “From sports to hiring the right people and having the right culture in the department, and also being efficient with the budget.”
Per the USF website, McDermott led a major budget overhaul that brought the department to a balanced budget for the first time. Under her leadership, a total of four teams reached their first NCAA regional appearance and the department achieved a GPA of 3.031.
In January of 2025, Sonoma State, facing a budget deficit of $24 million, announced it would cut all 11 sports programs. Also, SSU eliminated 20 degree programs and six academic departments.
New SSU President Michael Spagna said “athletics are an important part of university life” in an interview with The Star in January.
“They support student-athletes, strengthen campus spirit, and connect the university with the community,” Spagna said at the time. “We are exploring the possibility of reinstating Division II athletics, but it must be financially sustainable. We’re developing a plan and exploring fundraising opportunities to support athletics without impacting academic programs.”
McDermott said her focus is to use athletics as a way to support student growth, improve enrollment, and strengthen the overall campus community.
“For me, it’s really about the student-athletes and their growth,” McDermott said. “If we as administrators and coaches are doing the right things on a day-to-day basis, our student-athletes are going to have a lot of success.”
