Roanoke, Va. – Hollins University Director of Athletics Myra Sims announced Monday that she will be retiring at the end of 2021.

A collegiate coach and administrator for the past 37 years, Sims' last day at HU will be December 31.

Sims, who has directed the Hollins Athletic Department since May of 2018, has spearheaded improvements across the board to enrich the student-athlete experience at Hollins. Sims guided HU through the creation of the University's first track and field program in 2019, the hiring of HU's first strength and conditioning coach in January of 2020 and secured the first Hollins Athletics apparel agreement in history, signing a five-year deal with Adidas which runs through 2023.

Sims has played a key role in gaining support and creating designs for several facility improvements at Hollins. Plans and funding are in place for a new athletic training and strength & conditioning areas in addition to upgraded and additional locker room space. In addition, construction of new track & field facilities on campus and facility improvements to the HU's riding center that includes a renovated outdoor ring and an indoor exercise/lunging pen are in the planning stages.

Sims was the Emory & Henry Athletic Director from 2010-2018.  During her tenure, Sims led the strategic planning process at E&H that resulted in expanded and more competitive sports offerings, facility upgrades, and successful fundraising.

Prior to arriving at E&H, Sims served for 24 years as Head Women's Basketball Coach and later as an Assistant Director of Athletics at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Sims led the Eagles to NCAA Division III Sweet 16 appearances in 1995 and 1997 and compiled 204 wins in 15 seasons as the program's first-ever coach. Sims also served as the Head Volleyball Coach at Emory for three seasons (1987-89), also creating the program from scratch. The first female recipient of the Jostens Award was one of Sims' players from Emory University, Alicia Moore.

After 16 years at the helm of the Eagles' women's basketball program in the spring of 2003, Sims hung up her whistle and moved into an administrative role in the Emory athletic department. She served as Assistant Director of Athletics for two and a half years before being promoted to Associate AD and Senior Woman Administrator. In January of 2007, Sims was named Senior Associate Director of Athletics, a post she held until coming to Emory & Henry.

While an administrator at the Atlanta, Georgia, school, Sims oversaw construction and improvements to many of the Eagles' athletic facilities, including a $10 million expansion of Emory's Woodruff P.E. Center. She was also a major player in formulating operating policy for each of the University's 18 varsity sports, managing the department's multi-million dollar annual budget and NCAA compliance.

Sims has served on numerous committees in the NCAA and in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC). In addition to serving on conference and national committees, Sims served as the President of the National Association of Division III Athletics Administrators (NADIIIAA) for two years and also served on the NCAA Convention Planning Sub-Committee. She also became a member of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame selection committee in 2013.

Sims is a graduate of the University of North Carolina – Asheville, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and was a member of several athletic teams. After graduation, she began her coaching career at her alma mater, serving as head volleyball coach and as an assistant women's basketball coach. In the latter role, she was part of the UNC-Asheville team that won the NAIA National Championship in 1984. Later on, Sims completed a master's degree in recreation administration at Georgia State University in 1997.