Pauline Semons Thiros is the Director of Athletics at Idaho State University (ISU) and has enjoyed a successful 26-year career as a coach, development professional, and Director of Athletics. She started at Idaho State University as an Assistant Volleyball Coach and Recruiting Coordinator in 1995, following a standout playing career that earned her All-Big Sky Conference Honors. She received her Bachelor of Science in Health Care Administration from ISU in 1995, and her Master of Education in Athletic Administration in 1999. Her efforts on the court earned her an induction to the ISU Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.
In August of 2018, Pauline was named Interim Director of Athletics at Idaho State University and achieved extraordinary results in that role. She advanced the Davis Field renovation project, successfully proposed a student fee increase to support athletic department initiatives, and built corporate partnerships to expand facilities, staffing, and services for student-athletes. Following a rigorous four-month national search which began in December of 2018, Thiros was named Director of Athletics at Idaho State University in March 2019. She is the first female Director of Athletics to be named at a Division I University in Idaho. She is currently the Chair of the Big Sky Conference Joint Athletics Committee, former Chair of the Big Sky Conference Olympic Sports Committee, and serves on the Big Sky Conference Eligibility Committee, Legislative Review Committee, and Mental Health and Wellness Committee. She is the Big Sky Conference Administrator for NCAA Volleyball. In August of 2019, she was appointed to the prestigious NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Committee. Thiros serves on the Board of Directors for Hoop Camp, a unified sports camp program offering participation opportunities for people of all ages with special needs.
In her tenure as Director of Athletics, Thiros has completed one major capital project in the renovation of Davis Field, a historic venue made new as the institution’s outdoor track & field and soccer stadium. In December 2021 the Bengals completed the addition of a new athletic training center. Most recently Thiros secured a capital gift to renovate Holt Arena, a project currently underway. Other capital improvements include the renovation of several team locker rooms, the addition of a golf practice facility, and a state-of-the-art film room.
Following her years as a collegiate coach, Thiros was recruited into development at Idaho State and became a leader in the Office of Advancement. She served as Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving, Director of Alumni Relations, Executive Director of Development, and Associate Vice President of Development where she executed a $152 million capital campaign, oversaw a staff of 15 professionals, and was responsible for approximately $15 million in annual fundraising revenue for the ISU Foundation. A respected professional, she has been a speaker and panelist frequently including Regional CASE Conferences, Big Sky University, Alturas Institute’s “Conversations With Exceptional Women,” and the American Volleyball Coaches Association. Throughout her successful career in fundraising, Semons Thiros remained involved in athletics and coaching. She is among Idaho’s winningest high school coaches, logging a record of 317-49 and winning six consecutive State Volleyball Titles at Century High School. She took her team to the District Finals match in every year of her career, and to the State Final in eight of her nine seasons. Her program produced five prepvolleyball.com All-Americans, four Gatorade Players of the Year, and a prepvolleyball.com National Player of the Year. Her streak is the best mark in the history of Idaho 4A volleyball. Thiros has seven times been named District 5/6 Coach of the Year, and six times Idaho Coaching Association Coach of the Year. She has coached in the USA Volleyball Pipeline and was a Co-Founder of Idaho Peak Volleyball Club. She has contributed to the American Volleyball Coaches Association Magazine “Coaching Management,” taught IHSAA coaching clinics, has presented at the American Volleyball Coaches Association National Convention, and has been recognized by prepvolleyball.com among the nation’s top high school volleyball coaches. In 2016 on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, she was honored with the Trailblazer Award.
Semons Thiros has a son and a daughter.
