Jim Senter is in his sixth year of being associated with University of Colorado athletics, his first as the associate athletic director/sport administrator for football.  He officially transitioned into the newly created position on Sept. 1, 2011, moving over from the CU Foundation, where he had been associate athletic director for development for five years, since being named June 2006.

Senter, 49, will oversee Buffalo Sports Properties and the football program, with particular emphasis on human resource needs and coaches contracts, in his new position.  He will also be the liaison to CU’s development unit for the athletic department.

In his previous role, his responsibilities included all fundraising efforts, including the annual fund (student-athlete scholarships), major gifts and coordinating all donation-related activities and staff.  He brought to CU an extensive background in college administration, coaching and fund development.

He also was very active with the National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD), and is still serving as the organization’s second vice president and secretary for the 2011-12 academic year.  In 2007, he was first named to the executive committee of NAADD, which is under the umbrella of NACDA (National Association of Collegiate Athletic Directors).

Senter came to CU from San Diego State University where he had worked in a similar capacity for 18 months.  Working closely with the University foundation on development projects on campus, he was responsible for overseeing the athletic department’s development, including major gifts.

As the athletic director at Idaho State from 2003-04, Senter helped increase football attendance by 19 percent and saw the school’s advertising, marketing and corporate sales revenue jump $600,000 during his stay in Pocatello.   Senter was part of the senior staff at the University of Idaho, serving as chief fundraiser and associate athletic director for three years.

At Idaho, Senter was responsible for the University’s Capital Campaign for Athletics, helping raise money for the $13 million athletic facility expansion.  He also ran the annual fund for Vandal Athletics, handling the work of 48 national directors and overseeing and planning a fiscal budget of $1.2 million.  He first worked with current CU athletic director Mike Bohn at Idaho, when Bohn was the director there, with the two reunited a few years later after Bohn became the AD at San Diego State.

Before moving into administration and joining the development staff, Senter was an assistant football coach for the Vandals for nine seasons.  He wrapped up his coaching days in 1997, when he was the assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator for a Vandals squad that compiled a 13-9 record over the ’96 and ’97 seasons.  Senter coached the linebackers and defensive line from 1986-92, as Idaho went 52-21 and reached the NCAA I-AA playoffs six times in seven seasons.

Senter began his coaching career at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas, where he was a student assistant for the 1981 and 1982 seasons, a role he later held at his alma mater, Tulsa, between 1983 and 1985.  He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Tulsa in 1985.  His passion for coaching brought him to Idaho where he served as defensive line and linebackers coach at Idaho for six seasons before being promoted to assistant head coach.  While coaching at Idaho, he earned a master’s degree in recreation from the school in 1992.

He was born November 9, 1961 in of Doylestown, Pa., and graduated from Jay (Okla.) High School, where he lettered in football.  His hobbies include hunting, camping and gardening.  He is married to the former Susan Beck, and the couple has four children, Shawna, Derick, Matthew and Samantha.