[1] After working in various positions at Maine, Seattle Pacific, and Tulane, Sterk became the athletic director for Portland State.
During his tenure, Washington State excelled academically in the Pac-10, and saw an increase in donations and annual gifts.
During his time San Diego State, the athletic program improved on various levels, including their basketball team having a streak of 72 sold-out games and their football team going 11–3 and beating Cincinnati in the Hawaii Bowl in his final year.
[5] On July 26, 2021, Sterk announced that he would step down as athletic director for Missouri and would leave once his replacement was found.
[6] Sterk is married to his wife, Debi, and they have three daughters together: Ashley, Amy and Abby.