UWGB committed to 'sustainable, competitive Division I athletic program' after Guthrie departure

GREEN BAY – The search for a new athletic director starts now for the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Charles Guthrie was named the new AD at the University of Akron, an NCAA Division I school in Ohio, on Tuesday.

His contract with Akron begins July 1.

The move gets him closer to family and friends in his hometown of Albany, New York, and reunites him with former UWGB Chancellor Gary L. Miller, who left in 2019 to become the president at Akron.  

Guthrie replaces Larry Williams at Akron. He arrived at the school in 2015 but decided not to pursue an extension when his contract runs out this summer.

UWGB immediately will begin a national search for Guthrie’s replacement. Jermaine Rolle, who is the school’s deputy director of athletics, will serve as the interim AD.

The timetable for a hire is about six weeks, although UWGB is more concerned about finding the right person than meeting a deadline.

“I am both thrilled for Charles and sad for us,” UWGB Chancellor Michael Alexander said. “I think he has done a great job here. But we are going to keep moving forward. I think that’s what is most important here. We are on a good path, and we are very excited for what the future might hold.”

Alexander wants to make clear that UWGB remains committed to staying at the DI level.

“It seems like when we go through one of these events, the inevitable questions come up about, ‘Does this mean you are staying Division I’ and the other kinds of things that keep rising up,” he said. “I want to make sure we are being really clear. We are 100% finding the right path forward.

“It was one of our six strategic priorities for the entire university to make sure we have a sustainable, competitive Division I athletic program.”

Guthrie became the ninth AD in UWGB history — it introduced sports in 1969 — when he was hired in October 2017 to replace Mary Ellen Gillespie.

At the time, he signed a four-year contract that included a base salary of $160,000 per year and was eligible for several annual performance bonuses.

He arrived after serving as the AD at DII San Francisco State University for three years. Guthrie also spent three years as the AD at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington.

He worked in athletic and advancement roles at Cal State LA, California State-San Marcos, UC-San Diego, Columbia University, Colgate University and the Eastern College Athletic Conference

According to UWGB, he helped raise more than $1.2 million per year with the Phoenix Fund and special events.

The athletic programs continued to have success in the classroom during Guthrie’s tenure. Student-athletes had the highest combined grade-point average in school history in any semester last spring with a 3.57 GPA.

He also was involved in the opening of the Aldo Santaga soccer stadium in 2019, the completion of the King Park softball complex in 2020 and helped guide the athletic programs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Guthrie was at the center of an eventful time last May after the firing of men’s basketball coach Linc Darner with six seasons remaining on his contract.

Darner and the school agreed on a settlement package that guaranteed him at least $720,000.

Guthrie was instrumental in the search for Darner’s replacement, naming Will Ryan the new coach in June and giving him a six-year contract.

He also rewarded women’s basketball coach Kevin Borseth in February 2018 with an extension that goes through the 2024-25 season.

“I am beyond grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to partner and collaborate with Chancellor Alexander, the leadership team and the campus community,” Guthrie said in a statement released by the school. “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.”

Green Bay Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy, who is friends with Guthrie, is confident he will succeed at his new school.

"I’ve known Charles since we worked together at Colgate in the mid-1990s," Murphy said in a statement. “We’ve kept in touch over the years and it was great to reconnect with him here in Green Bay. The student-athletes and coaches at the University of Akron will love working with Charles. He has a passion for athletics that’s contagious. He’ll build the University of Akron into a powerhouse in the MAC.”