Photo courtesy of SMSU Athletic Communications: Jen Flowers served for three years as Southwest Minnesota State University’s Athletic Director. Flowers announced on Thursday that she will be resigning from the position to accept the same position for Winona State University.

MARSHALL — After three years as the Director of Athletics at Southwest Minnesota State University, Jen Flowers announced on Thursday that she is stepping down to accept the job as Winona State University’s Director of Athletics.

“I would really just like to reiterate how special I think Marshall is,” Flowers said. “The reason that I came here was because of that, the people, the support of the community, and I really think that SMSU is a hidden gem and a sleeping giant… While I’m sad that it won’t be me that awakens it fully, I’m really just grateful to the community for embracing my family, myself, my leadership style and making it a great three years.”

SMSU will announce an update on the university’s search for a new director of athletics next week, acting president Deb Kerkaert said.

Flowers was a member of the Winona State volleyball team from 1999 through 2002, where she was a two-time all-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference selection and a two-year captain. She graduated from Winona with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education before going on to earn a master’s in education, recreation, park & leisure studies from the University of Minnesota.

This will mark Flowers’ second stint working for Winona State’s athletic department after she worked there from 2006 to 2009 overseeing internal aspects of the athletic department, such as compliance and budget coordination, and she served as the associate athletic director and senior woman administrator from 2012 to 2015.

“It’s a special place,” Flowers said of Winona. “I’ve had a couple of opportunities to work there and it’s always felt like home. It’s the only place that could draw me away at this point and I’m really just looking forward to that experience for my family.”

In the fall semester this year, SMSU’s student-athletes set a department record of a cumulative 3.31 GPA. 

FlowersStill also oversaw plenty of success on the fields and courts; the mens basketball team advanced to the NCAA tournament each of her last two years as the AD, the womens team advanced to the tournament for the first time since 2002, the baseball team reached the NSIC tournament in 2023 for the first time since 2009 and returned in 2024, and the volleyball team reached the NCAA tournament each of her last two years in Marshall.

Still, Flowers said while she hasn’t had time to reflect yet, what she’s most proud of is the attitude and culture shift at SMSU during her time there.

“On top of that, our focus is back on being tremendous student-athletes and being great in the community. I’m really proud of that,” Flowers said. “I’m proud of the success of student-athletes in the classroom. I’m proud of just the sort of energy and attitude that our department has now and the way that people are seeing us from the outside.”