This week, Charles Guthrie began his tenure as Fordham’s director of intercollegiate athletics and recreation. He joins a department celebrating success, like the men’s water polo team’s historic No. 1 national ranking heading into this weekend’s NCAA Championship. And he brings a history of success, like teams winning 11 conference championships on his watch as athletics director at the University of Akron.
For the Albany native, who earned a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse University and a master’s in education administration and policy studies from the University at Albany, returning to his home state is a “dream come true.” He views college athletics as “one of the great human development engines in the world,” and he’s eager to help Fordham’s student-athletes thrive in the classroom, in competition, and beyond.
I know you grew up as an athlete—you played college basketball at Onondaga Community College prior to transferring to Syracuse. How did you become interested the administrative side of college athletics?
Most kids don’t grow up wanting to be a college athletic director. But everyone says that I was probably an athletic director as a kid, because I was always the first one in Little League to be at the field to help the coach rake the field, put the bases out, you name it. Playing pickup basketball, I would go get markers and put our names on the backs of T-shirts. My brother tells the story about me taking his brand-new alarm clock that he got for Christmas and putting it on the table to keep score in the middle of the street when we were playing football.
And then higher education—my mom preached going to college to all five of us. All five of her kids went to college. So, when you’re able to mix the importance of higher education and sports, then you have the career I have, which has been just a tremendous career path.
What appealed to you about the job at Fordham?
I’ve had my eye on Fordham for quite some time. It’s a great institution—an elite academic institution in the heart of New York City, in the Atlantic 10 in most sports. You can’t beat it.
As the interview process started, I talked to [current Akron and former Fordham head football coach] Joe Moorhead. He said, “It’s a special place. We hate to lose you, I love working with you, but it’s my alma mater and I think, for you, it’s home. You’d do really well there.” So that resonated with me.
What are your biggest goals coming into the job?
Well, first of all, I’m going to shift into what I call “start-stop-continue.” I want to hear from the coaches and the staff on what are the things we should start doing, stop doing, and continue doing at Fordham. And from that point, we’ll start to build out a true strategic plan for athletics and a vision for the future.
On that list, the top priority will be fundraising. NIL [name, image, and likeness opportunities for student-athletes] will also be a consideration. And then when you look at the teams, the Atlantic 10 is a basketball conference, so elevating men’s and women’s basketball [while giving] all our other sports [what they need to] achieve their goals.
And then getting football back on track is going to be a priority, as well, because I know that means a lot to the Fordham community. And when they’re winning, I know that people come out. Joe Moorhead reminded me of that—they had to bring in stands on the other side for him when he started getting it rolling.
Organizational efficiency will be another thing to tackle, and then just bridging athletics into the greater Fordham community across campus so that our colleagues are in tune with what we’re doing and what we’re trying to accomplish.
Tell me a little bit more about your philosophy and approach to athletics in higher ed and its relationship to academics.
First and foremost: graduation. I look at sports particularly as a way to keep students engaged in their journey through higher education and [to help them build] the life skills that they will learn by being on the team—being on time, having a set schedule, knowing where you’re supposed to be at the right time, paying attention and being detail-oriented because you need to know the playbook. And when you go into the workforce, these are all life lessons that are going to be critical to our student-athletes.
The Rose Hill Gym turns 100 this year. What are your thoughts about the gym as a home environment?
I think the Rose Hill Gym is amazing. I’ve been in arenas that are brand new, and I’d like to equate it to—do you want to buy a track home or do you want to live in a home that has character and history and tradition? When you go into the Rose Hill Gym, you feel that history and tradition. And I think that [its relatively small] size is actually an advantage. When you have that loud, daunting atmosphere that you have at Rose Hill, you can’t replicate that.
For Fordham fans getting to know you, what are some of your passions and interests outside of sports?
Well, I love to cook and I have a great audience in my [10- and 12-year-old] daughters and my wife. And I’m a big boater, so I’ve got to figure out where to go out and boat and fish.
How are your wife and daughters feeling about the move?
They’re just excited about being in New York. My younger daughter said about a month ago that it’s a shame that she can’t be around her grandparents, because one of her friend’s grandparents came over to babysit her. But now, guess what? My daughter gets to spend the weekend with my mom, my wife’s family, so it’s just working out really well.
You spent time in New York City while working at Columbia as director of marketing, tickets, and promotions in 1999 and 2000. What’s your favorite place in New York City?
My favorite place in New York City has always been Harlem. The rich tradition of Harlem has always been something I’ve been intrigued by. I could walk along those blocks and think about some of the most amazing things that happened in Harlem, going to the Cotton Club, etc.
And I’m looking forward to exploring the Bronx. I’ve spent very little time in the Bronx—just going to a Yankees game, that’s pretty much it. And now I’ll get see the botanical garden, the Bronx Zoo. I never knew anything about Arthur Avenue, and it’s just amazing down there.
You can’t do New York in a minute. You know that. It’s a vast place with so many new things—so many new restaurants, new ideas, always showing up. I haven’t stopped smiling. To come home and live in New York City is like a dream come true.
Interview conducted, edited, and condensed by Adam Kaufman, FCLC ’08.
