Fort Lewis College started a national search when director of athletics Travis Whipple stepped down in August, but it turns out the person the Skyhawks were looking for was already on campus.
Shawn Jakubowski was announced as the new Fort Lewis College Director of Athletics. He begins his role on Monday, the school announced in a press release on Wednesday.
Jakubowski has been serving as the interim director of athletics for the Skyhawks since Whipple left in August to become Southwest Minnesota State University’s Vice President of Athletics. Whipple made $155,000 as Director of Athletics for FLC in the 2024-2025 school year.
“I'm very grateful and relieved to have the process complete,” Jakubowski said. “We hired a search firm and we had, from what I understand, some great candidates. To go through the entire process the correct way and still come out on top, as an internal hire, is something that I'm really thankful for. I’m really excited to continue in this position.”
After Whipple left his position at the end of August, Zoom interviews started with other candidates, but Jakubowski said he was left in the dark on who the other candidates were. He was focused on his own process and putting his best foot forward. Jakubowski knew there were on-campus interviews, but he locked in on what he needed to do in the interview process and his role as interim director of athletics.
Jakubowski said he got the offer over the weekend, and everything was finalized right before the official announcement on Wednesday.
“Shawn has demonstrated outstanding leadership and a deep commitment to Fort Lewis College's mission,” said FLC President Heather Shotton in a press release. “He understands that athletics is not just about competition – it's about growth, teamwork and community. His experience, vision, and values align perfectly with our goals for student-athletes and the broader campus community.”
Originally from Knoxville, Tennessee, Jakubowski was a stellar track and field student-athlete at Berea College in Kentucky. He graduated from there with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology and Business Management. Jakubowski then graduated with a Master of Science in Sports Administration from Eastern Kentucky University.
Jakubowski came to Durango in 2020 and joined FLC in 2022 as the cross country and track and field head coach. In Jakubowski’s final season as head coach of the Skyhawks cross country program in 2023, the men’s and women’s teams qualified for the NCAA national championships.
“One of the things that I talked a lot about a lot through the interview process was I was in a unique position, because I was coming from being a coach at this institution,” Jakubowski said. “So I’ve related really well to all of our coaches, because I've sat in their chairs … understanding where the budgets are at, understanding how recruiting is at Fort Lewis and the whole department culture.”
Jakubowski has learned a lot since his move to associate athletic director for external relations in 2024. He dealt with corporate sponsors, but he also had some sports oversights. It gave him an understanding of why FLC operated the way it did, compared to when he was a coach; sometimes he thought some things were quick fixes.
The last few months have been somewhat tumultuous for the FLC Athletic Department. The school was put on probation by the NCAA right after Whipple left, and a story came out in The Durango Herald about allegations of bullying and slurs by former FLC men’s basketball coach Bob Pietrack.
Jakubowski said the school handled the probation the right way, and there are systems in place to prevent things like that from happening again.
As Director of Athletics, Jakubowski wants to make community a staple of his administration. He knows the sponsors and the donors. Jakubowski wants his student-athletes to get out in the community, graduate and be set up for success after graduation in their respective fields.
“Fort Lewis is pretty special to me and my wife,” Jakubowski said. “She was a graduate of Fort Lewis, went to school here on the Native American tuition waiver and was also a student-athlete. I went to a school that was very similar to Fort Lewis. It means a lot to work for Fort Lewis. My passion for the school and the community is my biggest asset.”
bkelly@durangoherald.com
