Jerrid Oates was elevated to associate athletic director for facility operations and game management in July, 2019, after serving for just over two years as assistant athletic director for facilities operations. In August, 2021, his title became associate director of athletics for operations.
In his role, Oates is responsible for oversight in all areas related to the development and coordination of activities and events at The Assembly Athletic Complex and the Physical Education Building (Auraria Event Center) at MSU Denver, which includes oversight/coordination of all aspects of game-day operations for designated regular season and postseason competitions. He is also responsible for the development of strategic community partnerships to improve the department’s engagement with local community entities in order to generate revenue for the university and the department of athletics, as well as to provide a service to the surrounding Denver metropolitan community. He also serves on the senior leadership team and participates in the development and coordination of programs, policies, and procedures for all sports.
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His responsibilities include scheduling, maintenance oversight, coverage of regular season and postseason events, securing facility rentals and the development of community partnership activities at the Assembly Athletic Complex and the Auraria Event Center. He develops campus and community partnerships in order to create community engagement and outreach activities for students and the surrounding community. He works with university and other campus constituents, including the Auraria Higher Education Center in scheduling usage of the athletic facilities. And he works with other senior staff to assist with game-day operations, event coverage, and team travel.
In addition to his day-to-day responsibilities related to MSU Denver Athletics in 2021, Oates was also the tournament director for the NCAA Division II Softball Championships that were played at the Assembly Athletic Complex, oversaw the department's partnership with Major League Baseball for events at the Assembly Athletic Complex that were held in conjunction with MLB's All-Star Game week, and oversaw the university's involvement in the Military Basketball Association Tournament held at the Auraria Event Center.
He has also served on the NCAA Division II South Central Region selection committee for baseball.
Prior to moving into administration, Oates spent six seasons as head coach of the MSU Denver baseball team, compiling an overall record of 121-157 to rank third in program history in coaching victories. The team was 72-70 in his final three seasons, and narrowly missed earning the program's first-ever NCAA Division II tournament bid in 2015.
During his tenure, he coached five all-region players, six All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference first-team selections and had 18 players earn recognition at the conference level for their play on the field. Under Oates' direction, pitcher Julian Garcia developed into a 10th-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2016, making him the highest draft selection in the Major League Baseball draft in school history.
Meanwhile, six of Oates' players earned Academic All-RMAC first team honors, while a total of 31 players received academic recognition at the conference level.Â
In 2015, Oates guided the Roadrunners to the RMAC championship game after upsetting No. 16/15 CSU-Pueblo and No. 3/2 Colorado Mesa in the first and second round of the conference tournament. It was MSU Denver’s deepest run into the postseason since 2002. He also helped the team to a 17-game home winning streak from January into April, the second-longest home winning streak in school history.
Prior to joining MSU Denver in 2012, Oates had spent the previous four seasons as the head coach at Colorado School of Mines. During his four-year reign, he had 20 players earn all-conference honors and 26 earn academic all-conference accolades. He was named RMAC co-coach of the year in 2008.
From 2004 to 2007, Oates served as an assistant baseball coach at CSM. During that time, Oates worked with the Orediggers catchers and outfielders. Oates was also instrumental in helping catcher Chris Siderius earn RMAC freshman of the year honors in 2007.
Oates came to CSM after serving for two years 2002 and 2003 as a graduate assistant baseball coach at Fort Hays State (Kan.). During his time with there, Oates also worked in FHSU's Health and Human Performance Wellness Center. Oates helped lead the Tigers to the NCAA Division II West Regional Tournament, the RMAC regular-season championship and the RMAC Tournament crown. The 2003 Tigers finished the year ranked first in NCAA Division II in batting average.
From 1998 through 2001, Oates was a four-year letterwinner as a catcher at Nebraska Wesleyan. Oates, who served as a Student-Athlete Advisory Committee representative during his final three years, earned All-Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honorable mention recognition following his sophomore season, and then garnered All-NIAC accolades while leading the Prairie Wolves to both an NIAC Tournament championship and an appearance in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Great Plains Regional as a junior in 2000. As a senior, he was named an All-Great Plains Athletic Conference honorable mention as Nebraska Wesleyan won a regular-season conference title. Oates, who caught a pair of no-hitters for the Prairie Wolves, was listed in the top 10 in five Prairie Wolves single-season statistical categories (all in 2000), including games played (40), at bats (137), RBIs (38), fielding percentage (.995) and hits (48). Oates was also ranked tied for third in the NWU career record book in fielding percentage (.988) and eighth in putouts (539).
Oates earned his bachelor's degree in sports management from Nebraska Wesleyan in 2001 before going on to earn his master's in health and human performance (emphasis in administration) from Fort Hays State in 2003. A native of Omaha, Neb., Oates is also a graduate of Millard North High School, where he also played football.
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