Union’s Director of Athletics, Tommy Sadler, to be inducted into Jackson Madison County Sports Hall of Fame
JACKSON, Tenn. – Union University Director of Athletics, Tommy Sadler, will be inducted into the Jackson Madison County Sports Hall of Fame as a part of the 2023 class. Sadler joins Jim Frazier, Johnny Growe, Lee Mayhall, and Tim Sikes as the newest inductees. The 37th class of the JMCSHOF will be inducted when ceremonies are held at 6:30 p.m., March 28, at the Carl Perkins Civic Center.
Sadler has been employed at Union for 37 years, including the last 15 as director of athletics. He also was a pitcher for the Bulldog baseball team where he was named the most outstanding pitcher in 1975 and set the record at that time for appearances in a season. In an interesting connection, Sadler and fellow JMCSHOF inductee Sikes were teammates on Union’s baseball team for two years. Overall, Sadler has been in association with Union for 42 years.
Before the 2022-23 season, Sadler announced his retirement as director of athletics at Union, effective May 31, 2023.
Sadler said, “I am so honored and humbled to be inducted into the Jackson Madison County Sports Hall of Fame. I am grateful to those who had a part in this and to the board for considering me worthy of such an honor. I can think of no higher recognition that to be honored in your hometown.
Sadler is a native of Jackson, Tennessee, and is a graduate of South Side High School where he played baseball, football, and one season of basketball.
During his time in the Union department of athletics, Sadler has seen many changes. As the associate director of athletics and then director of athletics, he was a part of adding the sports of softball in 1995, men’s soccer and volleyball in 1998, women’s cross country in 1999, men’s cross country in 2001, women’s soccer in 2005 and women’s golf in 2012. He also helped in the fundraising and planning of the building projects for the Fesmire Baseball and Softball fields, Smith Memorial Soccer Complex, and the Fesmire Field House.
As the director of athletics, Sadler successfully led Union through the three-year membership transition back to the NCAA after 40 years of NAIA membership. Since Union’s return to NCAA Division II in 2012-13, Sadler has made his impact known, not only at Union but at the conference and national levels.
Sadler functioned as the baseball liaison athletic director for the Gulf South Conference for eight years. He also served on the NCAA Regional Baseball Advisory Committee (RAC) for five years, including four years as chair, and then served for four years on the NCAA Division II National Baseball Championship Committee, including one year as chair. He was the NCAA Site Representative for three region tournaments.
Sadler also has several career honors including TranSouth Conference Athletic Director of the Year and the Union University Staff Member of the Year.
Sadler is only Union’s second athletic director in the last 50 years. Before him, Coach David Blackstock held the position from 1972 to 2008. When asked about Coach Blackstock, Sadler spoke very highly of him and credited him as being one of the reasons that he has been able to get to where he is today.
(PHOTO: Tommy Sadler)
