In this episode Matt discusses his transition into the Athletic Director’s role and SOU’s football program, which staved off discussions to eliminate the program and engineered a resurgence that culminated with the NAIA national title in 2015. He also shares insights related to brown M&M’s! Check it out.
Matt Sayre enters his sixth year as Athletic Director at SOU in 2015-16.
After 18 months as Interim Athletic Director, Sayre was named SOU’s Director of Athletics on May 12, 2010.
The SOU Athletic Department has seen unprecedented success under Sayre’s leadership. After finishing with back-to-back 50th place finishes in the annual Director’s Cup standings following the 2008-09 and 2009-10 campaigns, the Raiders finished 29th in 2010-11, 21st in 2011-12, 18th in 2012-13, 32nd in 2013-14 campaign and sixth in 2014-15. The 6th place finish is the best in school history and the best in Cascade Conference history.
Sayre was named in the Cascade Conference Athletic Director of the Year following the 2014-15 season.
The Athletic Department has also turned in record fundraising campaigns and is known for many of the Character initiatives that Sayre started upon taking over the reigns.
Sayre was also instrumental in the remodel of Raider Stadium , which added a multi-use turf and new track. Also on the horizon for SOU Athletics under Sayre’s direction is a remodel of McNeal Pavilion and a new rec center attached to McNeal Pavilion.
Prior to being named Interim Athletic Director, Sayre spent three years as Assistant and Associate Athletic Director and has been a long-standing instructor for Health and Physical Education.
Sayre first came to SOU in 1995 as an offensive assistant and then spent six years as the Raiders’ Offensive Coordinator. Between 1998 and 2003, the Raider offense averaged 382 yards and 33 points.
Collegiately, Sayre played two seasons as a quarterback at Eastern Washington before transferring to Western Washington in 1990. He passed for 1,490 yards as a senior and finished sixth on the Viking career passing yardage list with 2,421. He received an English degree from WWU, and he earned a master’s from SOU in 2001.
[Courtesy: SOU Athletics]
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