UW-Green Bay’s Guthrie Named Athletic Director at Akron University
National Search for Successor Underway
Green Bay, Wis. – University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Chancellor Michael Alexander confirmed today that Director of Athletics Charles Guthrie has accepted the athletic director role at Akron University in Akron, Ohio and will be leaving his role with Green Bay Athletics. Deputy Director of Athletics Jermaine Rolle will serve as interim athletic director until Guthrie’s successor is named. A national search for Green Bay Athletics 10th athletic director begins immediately.
“Charles Guthrie is a true joy to work with and is gifted at bringing out the best in people,” said Alexander. “He always puts the student athlete first. Our athletes, coaches, donors and fans have the utmost respect for what Charles has done for Green Bay Athletics over the last four years. I am sorry to see him leave UW-Green Bay, but only wish him the best in this next exciting chapter of his career.”
Guthrie’s move to Akron puts him closer to family and his hometown of Albany, NY. His new contract with Akron begins July 1, 2021.
“I am beyond grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to partner and collaborate with Chancellor Alexander, the leadership team and the campus community,” said Guthrie. “Green Bay is steadfast in its commitment to academic and competitive excellence as evidenced by the department’s 42 consecutive semesters above a 3.0 GPA. I will miss this tremendous community of student-athletes, coaches, staff and faculty. I’d like to thank all of the Phoenix fans near and far for embracing our program and supporting our exceptional student-athletes—your support is the driving force behind Green Bay Athletics.”
Guthrie served as athletic director at UW-Green Bay since October of 2017 when he became the ninth person to hold supervisory responsibility for intercollegiate athletics in the history of the Green Bay program. He replaced Mary Ellen Gillespie who left the Green Bay program for a position at Hartford University in Connecticut.
According to Alexander, Guthrie is leaving the program on solid ground. “We will begin immediately to recruit a leader to build on his success and continue toward our goal of building the Athletic Department as a fundamental piece of how the region interacts with UW-Green Bay,” he said.
In his time as the leader of Green Bay Athletics, the athletics program has seen tremendous success in the classroom, in competition and in the community. Green Bay student-athletes achieved the highest-ever combined grade point average during any semester in Spring 2020, recording a department-wide GPA of 3.57. Competitively, Green Bay Athletics earned postseason berths on the Horizon League and NCAA tournament play for men’s and women’s basketball, men’s soccer, volleyball and Nordic ski during his tenure. Additionally, Guthrie helped raise over $1.2 million annually via the Phoenix Fund and special events. Guthrie oversaw enhancements to the Kress Events Center, completion of the University’s softball complex, King Park, which was completed in Spring 2020 and the opening of the new Aldo Santaga Soccer Stadium in 2019. Guthrie was instrumental in hiring men’s basketball coach Will Ryan in 2020 and helped the Division I athletics department navigate the Covid-19 pandemic.
About the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
Established in 1965, UW-Green Bay is a public institution serving 8,970 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students and 79,604 continuing education enrollees each year across all campus locations. We educate students from pre-college through retirement and offer 200+ degrees, programs and certificates. UW-Green Bay graduates are resilient, inclusive, sustaining and engaged members of their communities, ready to rise to fearlessly face challenges, solve problems and embrace diverse ideas and people. With four campus locations, the University welcomes students from every corner of the world. In 2020, UW-Green Bay was the fastest growing UW school in Wisconsin. For more information, visit www.uwgb.edu.
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