Norma Carr, Athletic Director for Salt Lake Community College, has announced that she will retire at the end of July.
“My time here at Salt Lake Community College has been unbelievable,” says Carr in a press release. “Over these many years, I’ve had so many wonderful memories. This was a difficult decision to make, and because of the lifelong relationships and friendships I’ve made, it’s very hard for me to leave.”
Carr has been with SLCC Athletics for the last 25 years. During that time she has overseen the construction of multiple athletics facilities for the Bruins. She also has helped guided SLCC coaches and teams over the years and has watched numerous Scenic West Athletic Conference and Region 18 Championships including, the men’s basketball team two Region 18 titles over the past two years and their 2009 NJCAA National Championship.
“Norma Carr has led SLCC’s Athletic Department with passion, relentless energy and the perfect competitive spirit,” says SLCC Interim President Deneece Huftalin in a press release. “While she has consistently led us to regional and national wins, she has done it always with a student-centered focus. Our athletes at SLCC are academically and athletically strong largely due to the values and leadership that Norma has demonstrated. I am happy for her personally but will definitely feel her absence! She’s a remarkable woman, leader and friend.”
Not only is Norma Carr a leader here at SLCC, she is also a Title IX champion and a Utah icon who brought equality to women in athletics for both the college and high school levels.
Norma is the first woman in Utah to serve as an athletic director for both men’s and women’s sports programs and is also the first woman to officiate boys’ high school games in Utah. She is one of the few women named to the Top 25 Most Influential People in Utah Sports list.
Since becoming director of athletics at SLCC, she has taken a struggling department that consisted of only two sports, men’s and women’s basketball and built it into a successful and highly competitive five-sport program which now includes softball, baseball and women’s volleyball.
Carr coached softball at the University of Utah for 14 years, had four seasons on the coaching staff of the Utes volleyball team and even made a stop on the Ute’s women’s basketball staff.
Norma was named coach of the year multiple times and served as an assistant to the women’s athletic director.
Carr’s awards include Days of ’47 Pioneers of Progress Award and induction into the U of U’s Crimson Club Hall of Fame and the Utah Softball Hall of Fame. She was named National Administrator of the Year in 2009 by the National Association of Collegiate Women’s Athletics.
Carr plans to continue her active lifestyle and pursue future sports initiatives to help student-athletes at the high school and collegiate levels.
