Joseph D. Sterrett (1976)
Following a 52-year association with the University, including 48 years as a student-athlete, coach or administrator and the last 35 as Lehigh’s Athletic Director, Joe Sterrett ‘76 retired from Lehigh at the end of 2024. Sterrett came to Lehigh as a football student-athlete in 1972, began serving the University in 1976 and added the title as the first Murray H. Goodman ’48 Dean of Athletics for the last 18 years.
For 48 years, Sterrett remained dedicated to the development of young students through sports.
Through his experiences at Lehigh as an undergraduate student-athlete, coach, university administrator and director of athletics, Sterrett helped to develop the Lehigh athletics department into a group of highly skilled and caring educators whose common vision and exemplary work ethic aspired to make every student-athlete’s experience a positive and developmental one. Focused improvements in a number of areas contributed to the progress made in achieving Lehigh’s Athletics goals.
In an effort to affirm the importance of understanding the concerns and challenges of the Lehigh student-athlete, Sterrett established the Lehigh Student-Athlete Council and the Faculty Athletics Council. Each group meets regularly throughout the year. Sterrett, who also taught classes at Lehigh during the academic year, took an active role in most council meetings. To promote the value of service to others, the award-winning community outreach program, C.O.A.C.H. was founded, as was the Student Athlete Mentors (S.A.M) program. To honor the storied history of Lehigh Athletics, the Roger S. Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame was established. Lehigh student-athletes regularly rank nationally among the top Division I institutions in graduation success rates and NCAA academic progress and success rates.
Additionally, Lehigh is among the nation’s leaders in measures of equity commitment across all sports and for all student-athletes. In 2008, Lehigh’s athletics program expanded a long-time commitment to leadership development to include a structured leadership program for student-athletes. In addition, Lehigh’s scholar-athletes train and compete in outstanding facilities, the majority of which have been built or renovated during Sterrett’s tenure. Lehigh teams and individuals regularly earn national distinction in top 25 polls and as All-Americans, Academic All-Americans, and national champions. The talented coaching and administrative staff have been recognized with numerous “Coach of the Year” and “Distinguished Service” awards, and twelve athletics department coaches or staff members hold endowed chairs.
During Sterrett’s tenure, college sports saw significant changes at Lehigh, the NCAA, and the Patriot League, a league he was instrumental in shaping. One notable improvement is the advancement of women’s sports. Lehigh’s leadership and athletic department have made substantial investments in women’s facilities, equipment, and staff, significantly enhancing their competitive opportunities.
Sterrett highlighted other key changes in sports, including the year-round nature of the game and the growing impact of technology. Today, coaches use vast amounts of data to assess athletes, with tools ranging from online videos to wearables tracking metrics like heart rate and sleep patterns. Technology also analyzes biomechanics and enhances entertainment through features like instant replay, which raises performance expectations for athletes.
Sterrett received his bachelor’s degree from Lehigh in 1976, with majors in finance and social psychology. As an undergraduate, he earned All-America status as a senior quarterback and played on two Lambert Cup Championship teams. He was the recipient of the prestigious Undergraduate Merit Award in 1976, the Alfred P. Robinson Award in 1986, the University Award for Distinguished Service in 1998, the Paul J. Franz Award in 1999, the Hillman Staff Award in 2004, and the Lifetime Commitment to Lehigh Award in 2021.
Sterrett earned his master’s degree in educational administration from Lehigh while serving as a graduate assistant football coach. Throughout his tenure as a full-time assistant football coach, Sterrett pursued the doctor of education degree concentrating in sports administration at Temple University, and received the degree in January of 1984. During his seven-year coaching career as part of John Whitehead’s staff, Lehigh’s football program won 57 games, made three NCAA playoff appearances, finished as the national runner-up once, and won the National Championship in 1977.
Sterrett was one of the University’s key representatives in the Patriot League, where he served as chairman of the policy committee, twice as chairman of the committee on athletics administration, a member of the league’s committee for expansion, and twice as a member of the search committee for the league’s executive director. On a broader level, he served as chair of the NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee, and as a member of the NCAA Football Issues Committee, the NCAA Football Academic Working Group, and the NCAA Division I Management Council.
Sterrett and his wife Cindy, Lehigh ‘76, have four children, all of whom are Lehigh graduates, and 13 grandchildren.
Programmatic Initiatives:
- Expansion of Women's Varsity Sports: Successfully introduced Women’s Soccer, Women’s Golf, and Women’s Rowing programs.
- Flight 45 Leadership Development Program: Designed to enhance holistic student-athlete development and leadership, including:
- COACH Program (Community Outreach for Athletes who Care about Helping)
- TIDE Program (Tackling Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity)
- SAM Program (Student-Athlete Mentor Program)
- Awards Convocation Process: Developed as a platform to recognize student-athletes for leadership, academic/athletic excellence, and service.
- Faculty Athletics Council (FAC): Created to strengthen collaboration between athletics and academics.
- Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame: Established and inducted all current alumni members.
- Patriot League Founding Member: Played a key role in shaping the league's foundation.
- Athletics Partnership Program: Established as the primary fundraising arm for Lehigh Athletics.
- ILE Class: Co-taught an Integrated Learning Experience where students helped create the various facilities now embedded on Goodman Campus.
Notable Achievements:
- Impacted 5,982 student-athletes during his tenure as Dean of Athletics
- Secured 120 league titles (individual and team across multiple leagues - ECC, EIWA, and Patriot League)
- 65 Patriot League Championships
- Lehigh vs. Lafayette Record: 711–360–10
Sterrett in the Media
