Sheila Wooten, appointed Director of Athletics at Bloomfield College in 1999, has had an immeasurable impact on Bloomfield's athletic program as an athlete, coach and administrator. She was elevated to the Dean of Students at Bloomfield College in 2020 before taking on her current role after a merger with Montclair State University in 2023. She now holds the title of the Deputy Director of Athletics & Recreation – External Operations / Director as the school continues on as Bloomfield College of Montclair State University.
A 1985 Bloomfield College graduate, Wooten is regarded as one of the premier athletes in school history, excelling as a three-sport athlete in basketball, softball and volleyball. A two-time All-American, Wooten was also the first Bloomfield College female athlete to score 1,000 career points and grab 1,000 career rebounds. In 1990, she was honored for her incredible athletic achievements with an induction into the Bloomfield College Hall of Fame.
As a coach of Bloomfield College Women's Volleyball program, Wooten guided the then 'Lady Deacons' to their best season ever in 1998, as the team posted a 26-6 record and a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Tournament championship, as well as a second place finish in the Northeast Regional Tournament. Wooten was also named CACC Coach of the year in 1998.
As an administrator, Wooten has had a major influence on both the success and direction of Bloomfield Athletics. As an Assistant Director of Athletics, she was selected as the 'Female Athletics Administrator of the Year' by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in 1996. In 2019-2020 Wooten was named the CACC Athletic Director of the Year for the 2nd time, the 1st coming in 2012-2013. On December 12, 2025 she was ultimately inducted into the CACC Hall of Fame for her outstanding achievements as a player, coach and administrator. Mrs. Wooten was welcomed with a thunderous round of applause after CACC Commissioner, Dan Mara introduced her at halftime of a women's basketball game and was moved to tears as she spoke of her time at Bloomfield. Even within her acceptance speech she continued to inspire this generation as she has done for countless years in her various roles.
A trailblazer for Deacons’ Athletics, Wooten was also instrumental in Bloomfield College's decision to apply for membership to the NCAA. Under her guidance Bloomfield was granted provisional membership as an NCAA Division II institution in 1998, and her leadership paved the way for the school to achieve full NCAA membership in 2002. For twenty-four years Wooten led an athletic department that competed in 11 CACC and NCAA Division II sports, that included Men's and Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Men's and Women's Soccer, Men's and Women's Track & Field, Women's Volleyball, Women's Softball and Men's Baseball. She began a NCAA Division I Women's Bowling program in 2018 and saw the team compete in the East Coast Conference (ECC) Championship Tournament in their inaugural season. In 2019, Wooten continued her trailblazing direction by introducing E-Sports to the Bloomfield College community as she recognized the landscape of athletics would be changing and evolving in the years to come.
As an active member of the CACC, Wooten served numerous terms as Treasurer of the conference during her tenure at Bloomfield. Wooten served as the President of the CACC, and has sat on both the Finance Committee and Membership & Ethics Committees. She currently serves as the CACC 1st Vice President. Wooten also served on the NCAA Regional Volleyball and Basketball RACS as well as currently Chairing The Strategic Alliance Matching Grant Committee. She is an active board member of the Division II Athletic Directors Association (ADA).
Bloomfield College of Montclair State University announced on July 15, 2025, that it would transition from NCAA Division II to compete in the USCAA Division 1, beginning a multi-year process aimed at elevating its athletic programs. Wooten was instrumental in finalizing the process which allowed the school to compete as a member of USCAA Division 1 starting with the 2025–26 season, positioning itself among other competitive programs within the association. In just their first year in the USCAA, the department saw immediate success with the Men's Basketball team winning a conference championship and the women's basketball team being crowned as USCAA National Champions.
Wooten’s administrative duties extend beyond Bloomfield College as she served as a board member of the IExcel AAU girls basketball organization and the Newark West Side Boys Club Board.
Married to Vince Wooten for 37 years, Mrs. Wooten has two daughters, Leila and Nadia with the whole family of four having the unique distinction of being Bloomfield College graduates.
