Dr. Jesse Godding became Director of Athletics at Southwestern Assemblies of God University (SAGU) in 2011, adding to his role as SAGU Head Football Coach. In January 2015, Godding relinquished the football position to concentrate on leading the SAGU Athletic Department.
During Godding’s tenure as athletic director, the department has grown from seven sports and less than 200 student-athletes to 15 sports and 450 plus student-athletes. SAGU realigned with the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) in the summer of 2013. Facility additions include an on-campus softball and baseball field, football locker room and weight room, indoor batting cage and weight room facility, Olympic track and turf facility, as well as renovation of athletic training facilities, football and baseball office complex, and multiple locker rooms totaling upwards of $6 million.
The SAC has awarded Athletic Director of the Year three times to Godding (2014, 2021, 2022) and he was named a Cushman and Wakefield NACDA Athletic Director of the Year in 2023. He currently assists the SAC as a member of the SAC Executive Committee, Governance Committee, and SAC representative to the NAIA Athletic Directors Association (NAIA-ADA).
At the national level, Godding has contributed in multiple roles, including as a member of the NAIA National Administrative Council, NAIA Return on Athletics Advisory Panel, NAIA Football National Selection Committee Chair, NAIA Transfer Task Force Panel, and NAIA Football Postseason Expansion Task Force. He was elected NAIA-ADA 3rdVP in 2023, and while serving on the ADA Education Committee co-authored an NAIA Whitepaper and an initial NAIA benchmarking survey of athletic directors.Â
