All those involved with SUU Athletics are collectively mourning the passing of former university president, Gerald R. Sherratt, who will go down as one of the most influential people in the history of the Southern Utah University Athletics Department.
A friend and advocate of the many athletic programs at SUU, Sherratt was also instrumental in the university’s transition into a Division-I program.
Head gymnastics coach Scott Bauman, who Sherratt hired, spoke of the importance of his contributions to the athletics department, saying,
“He knew that we needed to be at the highest level (Division-I). He had a mindset of, ‘either you go all in or you’re just not going to make it.’ I loved that approach to everything he did in the university…Everything was done so well under his guidance and that’s what brought our university into the 21st century.”
Head cross country and track and field coach Eric Houle echoed those sentiments, saying, “He influenced the athletic department in so many ways, most importantly by taking us D-I. That move instantly changed the type of student-athlete we could attract.”
Aside from raising the status of the athletics department, Sherratt was also a passionate fan of SUU Athletics and trusted ally to the coaches and student-athletes at this university.
Coach Bauman fondly recalled many good times spent with Sherratt.
“Every time I would see President Sherratt, he would ask me if I needed him to go out and prepare to do a floor routine. He was always so kind and so funny that way. Those are some of my fondest memories of President Sherratt.”
He continued,
“He would come in to my office every now and again and say, ‘Coach what do you need?’ Then he’d go out and do something for our program that may seem small to everyone else, but it was huge on a grand scale for our program. It was truly his vision that saw this program to where it is today. I would like to think it was mine, but it wasn’t. It was Gerry Sherratt’s… He always expressed his confidence and told me how much he believed in me and congratulated us on the great things we were doing. And all that made me always strive to try harder and be better.””
Quick to point out Sherratt’s bright disposition and strong character, Coach Houle commented,
“He always had a ton of energy. His new and positive change for the university seemed to be constant. I would constantly see him, all hours, roaming the campus. He was imagining and dreaming about how great this place could become. I remember one of his last projects was the construction of the new President’s House; a place he would never occupy. He told me that SUU needed a place that would help to attract the future great leaders of this institution, and that he was going to make sure it happened.”
During his time as university president, Sherratt was behind 16 new buildings being built on campus, including what many consider his “crowned jewel,” the Centrum. Completed in 1985, Centrum Arena is home to the university’s men’s and women’s basketball teams, volleyball team, and gymnastics team. It also serves as host to community events such as the Utah Summer Games and the UHSAA boys’ and girls’ basketball tournaments.
Sherratt was a true friend to SUU Athletics and played an instrumental role in the program’s development. His presence is continually felt as the university’s fifteen Division-I programs and over 300 student-athletes compete for major championships every season.
As Coach Houle said, “President Sherratt was one in a million, a man that cared deeply about this place. It’s impossible to imagine where we would be today without his leadership.”
Hayden Coombs 