For University of Akron Director of Athletics Charles Guthrie, a year of accomplishment

Attempting to keep up with Director of Athletics Charles Guthrie as he strides around the University of Akron campus is a challenge in itself.

He glides about campus effortlessly with speed and undeniable energy. It can even be said it’s trickled over into the athletics department he runs. The trickle has been more like a tidal wave as the list of accomplishments during his first-year impress. Guthrie took the reins of the program July 1 of last year.

“I think he's shown excellent leadership skills within the entire department,” recently hired football coach Joe Moorhead said during a recent phone conversation. “I think he's got a plan in place. I think he's done a great job hiring people and delegating responsibility. He's not a guy that wants to take no for an answer.”

The Charles Guthrie year one resume

That facet of Guthrie’s can-do personality is fully on display given what’s changed in just a year:

• A practice space for the men’s and women’s basketball teams.

• Hiring a Power 5 football coach (Moorhead, though at UA previously, arrived from Oregon).

• Got the university to loosen the financial shackles on baseball and women’s lacrosse.

• After years, the outdoor track at the Lee R. Jackson Track & Field Complex is being replaced.

• The turf field at InfoCision Stadium is being replaced.

• The floor at Rhodes Arena is in the process of being resurfaced.

• He and his staff, spearheaded by former senior associate athletics director for development & marketing George Van Horne, raised $4.7 million to pay for it.

• Consolidation of myriad UA logos into one definitive brand.

Yes, he’s been busy. But he’s had to be considering the recent history of the UA athletics department.

Akron’s turbulent transition

The lists of accomplishments is impressive given the situation with UA athletics in recent years.

In that respect, it was a matter of symbiosis – UA struggled. Therefore, so did its broader university community.

When former president Luis Proenza retired in 2014, enrollment had already been declining, but from the time he left when total enrollment landed at 25,865 that year to autumn 2020, the last year numbers are available, the total decreased by more than 8,000 to 17,829.

Part of that decline is due to the pandemic, but to a certain degree, UA was rudderless. There had been three presidents, Scott L. Scarborough (2014-16), Matthew J. Wilson (2016-18) and John Green (interim 2018-19), in a five-year span before  the hiring of Gary L. Miller in 2019.

This prolonged transition from Proenza inflicted damage on the university at large. That included cuts to faculty and staff at varying points, along with significant cuts to athletics.

Former Athletic Director Tom Wistrcill left in 2015 and was replaced by Larry Williams, who faced the daunting task of having to run a department under three different administrations.

He also contended with the departure of popular men’s basketball coach Keith Dambrot, who left for Duquesne. To his credit, he hired John Groce, whose team is coming off an appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Even Groce, who’d come from situations at Ohio University and Illinois where administrative stability was the norm, recognized the issues at UA. But Groce came, in part because of tradition, but also because he saw the commitment from people in the department.

Akron basketball: University of Akron extends contract of basketball coach John Groce through 2030

Akron basketball: 'See if we can build on it': John Groce, Akron men's basketball ready for new mountain

“I use the phrase all the time, leadership is so important in what we do. Whether it's administratively, whether it's in my spot, whatever, I think it's really important,” Groce said recently. “I think a lot of times things rise and fall on that. And so, I think what happens when there's a turnover like that and a lack of continuity, basically I've used the phrase, it's a moving target.”

Those who have left UA athletics and spoke to the Beacon Journal on background called working in the department an uphill battle during the time after 2014. Presidents supported athletics publicly, but didn’t do so financially or not at all. Power struggles over who controlled UA purse strings dominated behind the scenes and it may have led to Dambrot’s departure.

The changes come for Akron athletics

Under Scarborough, baseball was cut after the 2015 season even though the Zips competed for a Mid-American Conference championship. The program ultimately returned, but under stringent financial constraints. Former president Wilson and Williams announced the program’s return for the 2020 season along with the addition of women’s lacrosse.

That burst of good fortune didn’t last long as, according to the university statements at the time, that declining enrollment along with other issues, including the COVID-19 pandemic, necessitated cutting the men’s cross country team, the men’s golf team and the women’s tennis team after the 2019-20 season.

Williams, in some quarters, has been made a convenient fall guy for some of UA’s athletic ills. But those with knowledge of the circumstances said that’s not true, calling the situation, which came with $4.4 million in cuts to athletics, a perfect storm.

From Miller’s standpoint, there were issues, but the one thing he never felt was a lack of effort from those who remained in the department.

“Well, I'll tell you, first of all, I think the perception was that the institution was wandering in the desert, but the people here,” he said, “the faculty and staff here were actually doing a pretty amazing job and their commitment to the students through that time of turmoil was pretty much outstanding. I continue to think athletics is incredibly important to this university.”

Akron athletics re-aligns

A common term emerged from those who were interviewed – alignment.

For those who were here during the stormy weather, there was a sense that not everyone was rowing in the same direction. Miller’s appointment as president in October of 2019 set the stage to change that.

Looking back, it’s clear what the priorities were – labor peace across the board which was achieved in March, 2021. Williams announced he would not seek another contract that same month.

It didn’t take long for Miller to turn to Syracuse alum and former colleague, Guthrie, whom he worked with at Wisconsin-Green Bay where they enjoyed success.

That move created that alignment. The board that hired Miller remains largely the same and with Miller bringing Guthrie in, the final piece appears to be in place and, more importantly, succeeding where it hasn’t in recent years.

“I feel like knowing the alignment between the president and the AD is crucial. And coming in, I knew what to expect. I knew what his expectations were,” Guthrie said. “It didn't take me time to get caught up to speed what he was trying to accomplish in the athletic department because we went through some of the same things at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. We had budget cuts, low enrollment.”

Guthrie brought with him an overflowing sense of positivity, according to those close to him, along with an unyielding belief that every team within the program should be successful. He’s also hasn’t been afraid to make changes when he feels it’s warranted – that included firing former football coach Tom Arth.

The football program in general provides a prime example of who Guthrie is personally and professionally.

Charles Guthrie’s personal touch

He views himself as not only an athletic director but mentor to the student-athletes – many of whom are Black – on UA’s teams. He believes in giving the benefit of the doubt and second chances, the latter was firmly in play with the case of Zips running back Teon Dollard who found himself on the wrong side of the law, facing weapons charges, coming off a season in 2020 where he averaged 5.9 yards per carry.

Guthrie worked with the university, law enforcement and Dollard to get him on the right track, only to watch Dollard mess it all up with another arrest. He’d do it all again, Guthrie said adamantly.

Akron football: UA star running back enters diversion program for weapons charge, status with team unclear

Zips: University of Akron running back Teon Dollard will not be returning to the field for Zips

“I have an obligation to continue to try to be a mentor. I believe in redemption. I feel like I'm blessed to be in this role and I feel as though things could have gone south for me quickly, just being in the car, growing up with my cousins doing things, and you just never know what the outcome could be being in the wrong place at the wrong time,” he said.

Just as importantly, he understands the concept of "it takes a village." Meaning: he can't do it alone. He appreciates the dedication coaches have shown. He acknowledges the $4.7 million in fundraising likely would have been a challenge to achieve without Van Horne, appreciating the stewardship he's shown.

He also understands the transitional nature of college sports and knows challenges are ahead. The most recent is the impending departure of baseball coach Chris Sabo. There will be time to deal with that issue given one team will soon have the focus on them.

Akron athletics’ most significant challenge

Professionally, football could hold the key to just how far Guthrie goes as an AD. By all accounts and analyses, hiring Moorhead was a home run for the program and early feedback from players during spring football has been universally positive.

Moorhead has won at every level he’s coached, including at UA and as offensive coordinator at Oregon last year and could have had his pick of jobs when the season ended. He chose UA despite the fact Guthrie lacks experience with Division I football.

Akron football: Joe Moorhead named football coach at University of Akron

Akron football: 'No level of compromise': Akron football opens spring practice under new leadership

“Not particularly,” Moorhead said when asked if that was a concern before taking the job. “I mean, it's a skillset, right? And when you meet a person and they have the ability to think critically and communicate clearly... I mean, at the end of the day, a sport's a sport and to me, his skillset, what he brought to the table, and level of expertise, and his honesty, his transparency, all those things superseded the fact that he had not been in a Division I football program in the past.”

Guthrie understands turning that program around on a long-term basis is a key. Moorhead said since he’s arrived he’s been given everything he needs within reason with respect to resources to begin that process.

“At the end of the day, football has to go. And I feel like we put ourself in the best position possible, probably in the last 10 years with the hire of coach Joe Moorhead to turn it around,” Guthrie said. “And like everyone who's reading Twitter and social media, we're very impressed with what's going on in that program right now.”

Reach George M. Thomas at gthomas@thebeaconjournal.com or follow him on Twitter @ByGeorgeThomas.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Charles Guthrie brings momentum as Akron Zips athletics director