MARSHALL, Minn. – Southwest Minnesota State University Director of Athletics Jen Flowers announced her resignation today to accept the Director of Athletics position at Winona State University.
 
Flowers recently completed her third year at SMSU after being named to the position on May 11, 2022. She started her duties at SMSU on July 1, 2022.
 
"I am deeply appreciative to SMSU for an incredible three years," Flowers said. "Working alongside our talented coaches and staff, supporting fantastic student-athletes, and being part of a campus community that does things the right way has been both professionally and personally rewarding. We made tremendous strides during my time as a Mustang, and I am confident the future is bright. Marshall is a special place and my family, and I are thankful to have been a part of it."
 
Flowers' vision for SMSU student-athlete's academic and athletic success has been pronounced during her tenure and along with her passion to achieve that plan has made a major impact within the SMSU campus and Marshall community. SMSU student-athletes set a department record cumulative GPA of 3.31 during the 2024 Fall semester. This past academic year, the SMSU men's basketball team won a share of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference regular season title, while the SMSU volleyball, men's basketball, and women's basketball teams all advanced to the NCAA tournament. The wheelchair basketball team placed third in the national tournament.

Flowers earned her bachelor's degree in elementary education, with an emphasis in middle school mathematics, from WSU in 2003, and was also a four-year letter winner on the WSU volleyball team. Flowers worked at WSU as the associate athletic director and senior woman administrator from 2012-15. She also had a stint at WSU from 2006-09, overseeing internal aspects of the department, including compliance and budget coordination along with athletic department scheduling.
 
SMSU acting president, Deb Kerkaert, said an update on filling the Director of Athletics position at SMSU will be announced next week.