University of Missouri Athletics

A true pioneer and trailblazer in collegiate women’s athletics, Jean Cerra is one of the more important founding figures in Mizzou history. She helped women’s athletics gain a foothold in the 1970s when it was fighting for legitimacy. She joined Mizzou’s athletic department in 1976 when the men’s and women’s athletic programs were merged into one Department of Intercollegiate Athletics as assistant director of athletics/director of women’s athletics. At the time, Mizzou was one of the country’s first large Division I schools to make such a change. In 1979, she was given administrative oversight for both men’s and women’s athletics as associate director of athletics for internal operations. Also in that period, Cerra joined 10 other women to form the Council of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators (now known as the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators) which now has more than 1,000 members. After leaving Missouri in 1985, she spent 17 years in athletic administration at Barry University in Florida, including nearly seven years as athletics director. Under her watch, Barry won five national titles – two in women’s soccer and three in women’s volleyball. She retired from athletics administration in 2008.