After more than a decade of service to Cal State Fullerton and leadership of Titans Athletics, Jim Donovan has been named vice president for intercollegiate athletics. Donovan has served as athletics director since 2012, and will retire from the university on July 31.
Under Donovan’s leadership, Titans Athletics has reached historic heights, claiming 33 Big West Championships across multiple sports. In 2018, Athletics brought home the prestigious Commissioner’s Cup for best overall performance in all Big West sports. Titans Baseball returned to national prominence with two College World Series appearances, and Titans Softball built a dynasty, capturing seven conference titles. The momentum of their success inspired more fans to attend their games, and ticket sales increased 46%.
In addition, Donovan refined and enhanced academic support programs to keep student-athletes on track to graduate. Before he arrived, student-athletes graduated at a rate of 68%. Now, 80% complete their degrees within six years. Last fall, the university’s 330 student-athletes averaged a combined 3.21 grade-point average, the highest all-athlete GPA in school history, excluding a pandemic-era 3.41 mark when sports were suspended and credit/no credit options were expanded.
“Our approach to Titans Athletics has been to create a leadership laboratory where student-athletes develop teamwork, time management and confidence in themselves,” said Donovan. “They learn to face adversity head-on and turn challenges into opportunities for growth.
“Titans Athletics also has a strong culture and commitment of helping student-athletes succeed in the classroom, guided by our coaches and Athletics Academic Services staff,” added Donovan.
Donovan also played a key role in inspiring Titans to give more than $23 million in philanthropic support. He oversaw $28 million in capital improvements, including new facilities for baseball, basketball and aquatics, plus major upgrades for softball, tennis, and track and field.
“I want to express my profound appreciation for all that Jim has accomplished in service to Cal State Fullerton and Titans Athletics. His achievements are impressive,” said CSUF President Ronald Rochon. “He led Titans Athletics into a new era that shaped our students’ experience, transformed the campus and instilled a culture of pride in our university.”
Highly regarded by colleagues in the California State University system and other institutions across the nation, Donovan has frequently been tapped for mentorship and guidance in growing Division I athletics programs. The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics, which represents more than 22,000 collegiate athletics leaders, named Donovan an Under Armour Athletic Director of the Year in 2019.
A former collegiate football offensive lineman, Donovan shared that “my job was to block so that other people could score.” He has since dedicated his career to removing barriers so that student-athletes can compete at the highest levels.
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all administrators, coaches, staff and student-athletes I’ve had the honor and privilege of working with,” said Donovan. “My core belief is we were all working together to develop leaders for our future.”