Carl Ullrich, the Academy’s first civilian director of athletics (1980-90), worked diligently to maintain and upgrade the posture of Army's intercollegiate athletic teams. He was instrumental in the rejuvenation of the entire athletics program and played a large role in restoring Army's football program to national prominence.

Most notably, he is credited with the turnaround of the Army football program by hiring Jim Young in 1983. Young engineered one of the great turnarounds in the history of the sport to include capturing the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy three times and earning a bid to Army’s first three bowl game in school history – the Cherry Bowl in 1984, the Peach Bowl in 1985 and the John Hancock Sun Bowl in 1988.  

During his final six years, the Academy experienced five winning football seasons (to include three bowl games).

Ullrich was the driving force behind the construction of Holleder Center, the facility at West Point that houses Christl Arena and Tate Rink, and instituted the Graduate Assistant program in the athletic department.

Ullrich was responsible for the construction beneath the East stands of Michie Stadium as well as the expansion of the Army "A" Room, the addition of the Blaik Gallery and the creation of the Truxtun Lacrosse Center. Additionally, he upgraded the football strength and conditioning area, as well as the Halftime Room, while stabilizing the Army Athletic Association fiscally.

He shepherded the Black Knights' move from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference to the Patriot League, created international opportunities with a basketball game in Japan in 1985 and a football contest in Ireland in 1988 and negotiated a deal with the Liberty Bowl to ensure the winner of the Commander in Chief's Trophy was invited to a postseason bowl game.

During his tenure at Army, Ullrich served as President of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and on the executive committee of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.

Ullrich transitioned to become the first Executive Director of the Patriot League in 1989, and under his leadership, the conference expanded its offerings from football to a full slate of 22 intercollegiate sports. After retiring to North Carolina, he served two separate stints as athletic director for St. Andrews Presbyterian College.

Ullrich is the first administrator elected to the Army Sports Hall of Fame in 2007 as part of the fourth class enshrined in the Hall.