RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Department of Intercollegiate Athletics announced on Tuesday the promotion of Sara Hernandez to Senior Associate Athletic Director for Marketing and Strategic Initiatives, Steven Kraus to Senior Associate Athletic Director for Sports Medicine, Julia Perez to Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Success, and Derek Schramm to Senior Associate Athletic Director/Chief Revenue Officer.
"We are grateful for the continued commitment, leadership and passion for excellence that these four administrators contribute to our department's success," UTRGV Senior Vice President and Director of Athletics Chasse Conque said. "We continue to be blessed to have some of the best and most dedicated administrators in the country, and I couldn't be more grateful for the work Sara, Steven, Julia, and Derek do to serve the Rio Grande Valley and contribute to the success of our coaches and student-athletes."
Sara Hernandez
Following four years as a track & field student-athlete, Hernandez started working with the athletic department as a media relations graduate assistant in 2011 before starting full time as the athletics marketing and promotions coordinator in January 2013. She has since been promoted three times, including to assistant athletic director for marketing and most recently to associate athletic director for marketing and strategic initiatives.
"I am honored to have the opportunity to keep growing in this department, which has been my home for such a long time," Hernandez said. "I'm proud of the way our team has grown and how we have reached new heights together."
Hernandez oversees the department's marketing and promotions efforts while also overseeing strategic initiatives such as increasing the department's activity throughout the Rio Grande Valley, including on and around the Brownsville campus.
Hernandez's team led the creation, development, and integration of the "Our Valley. Our Team. Our Time." campaign that started prior to the 2024-25 athletic year. The campaign was recognized by the American Advertising Federation-RGV with the best of show award for sales and marketing and receiving gold in the cross-platform campaigns.
The marketing team was vital in UTRGV's efforts to earn back-to-back department records in attendance across all sports, including the 82,258 fans that attended UTRGV baseball games in 2025, the 34th-most in the nation.
Hernandez is quick to note the support and work of her team, consisting of Julie Vasquez, Kristella Cruz, and Maria Ruiz. She finds happiness in their development and the development of their student staff.
"I'm especially grateful for the people I get to work with every day, whose talent, dedication, and passion make this place so special," Hernandez said. "I'm excited for what's ahead and look forward to continuing to serve and contribute to our shared success."
Steven Kraus
Kraus, who previously worked with the department from 2016-19, returned to UTRGV as associate athletic director for sports medicine on July 6, 2020.
"I'm extremely grateful and honored to receive this promotion," Kraus said. "UTRGV has been my home for eight years now and I've truly enjoyed getting to grow as a professional, grow the sports medicine department at UTRGV, and grow in my personal life as well."
Kraus has been instrumental in the growth of the sports medicine department. When he returned to UTRGV in 2020, the sports medicine department had five full-time athletic trainers. Starting in 2025-26, sports medicine will have nine full-time athletic trainers and one medical assistant.
Kraus also helped revamp the student athletic training program to provide more learning opportunities for the students and has increased the size from 26 student athletic trainers to 46.
In addition to Kraus' administrative responsibilities, he is also the primary athletic trainer for men's basketball, women's golf, and men's tennis.
"I look forward to continuing to give my all to UTRGV and the Rio Grande Valley and looking forward to providing the best quality healthcare I can to our student-athletes for years to come."
Julia Perez
Following four years as a women's tennis student-athlete from 2012-16, including a conference championship as a senior, Perez served in multiple roles for the department, including volunteer assistant women's tennis coach and compliance assistant. She joined UTRGV Athletics in a full-time capacity in Feb. 2019 as coordinator for student development before being promoted to assistant athletic director for student-athlete services in Sept. 2023.
"I'm excited and honored to step into the role of associate athletic director for student success and incredibly grateful for the journey that led me here," Perez said. "In this new role, I will be taking on responsibilities related to student-athlete housing and financial aid, leading the revamp of our life skills programming, and continuing to oversee both our student-athlete advisory committee and community service initiatives. I'm especially excited to join the senior staff and contribute in every way I can to the continued growth and success of UTRGV Athletics and our amazing student-athletes."
While overseeing community service initiatives, Perez helped the UTRGV SAAC win the 2022 Division I Video Contest and has helped the department earn three top 20 finishes in community service among all NCAA Division I programs.
In the fall of 2023, Perez earned the #RISEUp award, which recognizes individuals in UTRGV Athletics who go above and beyond, making a meaningful impact on UTRGV student-athletes, coaches, and staff as voted on by her peers.
Derek Schramm
Schramm joined UTRGV Athletics on Sept. 11, 2023, as the senior associate athletic director for advancement and administration.
"First and foremost, I'd like to thank Chasse Conque for his continued trust and belief in my abilities, and for giving me the opportunity for further responsibilities and growth here at UTRGV," Schramm said. "This is a very special place, and I tell people all the time that making the move to the Valley and UTRGV is the best decision I've made. That sentiment certainly still holds true."
Since joining UTRGV, Schramm has been instrumental in the creation of the Vaqueros Loyalty Points program, the Vaqueros Athletic Fund, and the Rally the Valley NIL exchange. Since 2023, the Vaqueros Athletic Fund has raised over $28 million, including a record $207,320 from 195 donors during the 2024 UTRGV Day of Giving.
Schramm also oversees the ticket sales team for UTRGV. In back-to-back years, UTRGV has achieved record-breaking ticket sales and attendance records, including welcoming over 140,000 fans across all sports in 2024-25.
As part of these record-breaking attendance numbers, UTRGV baseball averaged 3,164 fans per date in 2025, ranking 30th in the nation.
In addition, Schramm and the ticket sales team have achieved sellouts for season tickets, suites, and all premium seating for the 2025 football season.
In his new role, Schramm will oversee ticket sales, NIL, licensing, and corporate sponsorships.
"What we have achieved externally the past couple of years underscores the talent and dedication of our team and the incredible amount of excitement the Rio Grande Valley has for the Vaqueros," Schramm said. "I'm eager to continue to #RallyTheValley while building on our momentum by looking for new ways to be creative and innovative as we build strong, lasting relationships with the community and enhance our resources to position our student-athletes for championship level success."
Support UTRGV Athletics | Become a Fan on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow us on Instagram | Follow us on YouTube
