Sugar Bowl Ski Team & Academy announces Branko Zagar as Athletic Director

In its continued quest to fulfill its mission to “provide passionate skiers the opportunity to pursue athletic dreams, academic excellence, and personal growth,” and its vision “to be the recognized gold standard for ski teams and ski academies,” Sugar Bowl Ski Team & Academy (SBSTA) has hired Branko Zagar, an accomplished Alpine coach and Program Director, and former collegiate Athletic Director, in the position of Athletic Director for the SBSTA. 

Zagar previously spent over a decade in the Tahoe area with various roles: Heavenly Ski Resort Ski Instructor and Examiner (2002-2003), Heavenly Ski Education Foundation J-II/III Head Coach (2002-2005), Diamond Peak Ski Education Foundation FIS Head Coach (2005-2007), Sierra Nevada College (SNC) Head Alpine Coach (2006-2017), SNC Winter Sports Director (2008-2011), and SNC Director of Athletics (2011-2017). During his time at SNC, Branko built a men’s and women’s alpine ski team that took home numerous team and individual national championships, along with establishing, supporting and advancing several other collegiate sports. He is highly regarded and respected by his peers nationally and internationally for his accomplishments at SNC.

When Zagar left Sierra Nevada College (SNC) in 2017, Dr. Alan G. Walker, then president of SNC, commented, “Branko served as the head men’s and women’s alpine ski coach for a number of years and then agreed to take on the additional role as athletic director when the college expanded its intercollegiate athletic programs, joined the California Pacific Intercollegiate Athletic (CALPAC) conference, and became a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).”

Other accomplishments and recognition while at SNC include: 

• 2015 United States Collegiate Ski Association (USCSA) Coach of the Year
• 2015 Achievement Award from U.S. Senator Harry Reid
• Sierra Nevada College Alpine Ski Team to 9 / 10 overall USCSA National Championships, over 30 USCSA National Titles, and over 200 Collegiate National titles
• Led SNC Snowboard and Freeski teams to 13 consecutive USCSA titles
• Started eight new sports programs at Sierra Nevada College ( Freeskiing, Lacrosse, Soccer, Golf, Cross Country)

Since 2017 when Zagar left SNC, he has served as the Alpine Program and Race Director at the Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club in Jackson, WY. For three years from 2017 through 2020, Zagar and current SBSTA Executive Director and Head of School, Brian Krill, worked closely together to continue improving on a storied western program. Zagar managed all alpine programming and extensive races at two venues (Snow King and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort) and improved training, racing, and relations at both, hosted alpine races from club series to NorAms, executed a town league series and multiple community events, and in 2019 hosted the USCSA National Championships. In his role at JHSC, Zagar was honored as the Intermountain Division’s (IMD) race official of the year in 2019 and received the IMD Distinguished Service Award honoring his commitment to the IMD and Western Region in 2021. This recognition came to Zagar while his primary focus was the development and success of JHSC coaches and athletes as Alpine Program Director at JHSC.

Brian Krill, SBSTA Executive Director and Head of School, commented, “I’ve worked closely with Branko before, and I’m excited to bring him into a leadership role at SBSTA. His background is ideal for this position to help take SBSTA athletics to the highest levels of success. He is a workhorse operationally and strategically, the real deal and the whole package. Most importantly, his devotion to the student-athletes, coaches, and programs, and his knowledge of managing multiple sports is unparalleled.” 

Zagar stated, “This is a great opportunity for me to take on a new challenge and help move a well-established program to a new level of excellence and recognition. SBSTA is an amazing community with exceptional training venues and facilities. Overseeing programming in alpine, Nordic, and freeride. From mini-mites to post-graduates, I look forward to working with the coaches, teachers, parents, Sugar Bowl Resort, and the rest of the leadership team to serve student-athletes at the very highest levels.” 

Krill continued, “Among Branko’s many strengths, attracting and retaining both coaches and student-athletes, and really good ones, is something he excels at. He is extremely knowledgeable about the demands on student-athletes at collegiate and junior levels, and therefore knows how to navigate pathways for their success athletically, academically, and personally.” 

Zagar will officially start in his new role on July 1, 2022, while immediately engaging with various transitional tasks, planning, and staffing for 2022-2023.

Release courtesy of SBSTA