clarkwgriswold

It took them over 3 days to report on Guthrie moving on. They'll probably wait to just cut and paste the obit.

Gerry was not a great college head coach. He was a great guy in general. He was 43–53–3 at Akron. Sadly, that's pretty good in comparison to recent Akron football.

The donors are stalwarts like Wentz and Kaulig. Absent the AD making a deliberate attempt to run them off they were always going to be there. In fact, they could likely run an AD off quicker than an AD could run them off. We started Guthrie's tenure with good basketball, soccer, track and field, swimming and diving, rifle...and awful football, maybe the highest profile sport. None of that changed.

Agreed. I think: 1) this may be our strongest opponent of the season; and 2) he may be the key to the season.

PCCC is the only team in the nation to not lead a game this season.

No Enrique on the Mad Ants roster yesterday in Cleveland against the Charge.

I think Gray will be okay. He didn't turn the ball over a lot at Cornell. I suspect he's just been pressing. I predict he'll be a fan favorite by the end of the year.

No idea on Harris, but he was the one "injured" guy on the bench without a brace of some sort. Groce indicated in the post-game that he would be monitored to see if eh could play Tuesday. It had the sound of day to day.

I suspect Joe may want to stay more now.

At the end of the day, I judge Guthrie on where the athletic program is compared to where it was when he came in. I see no progress.

Ohio.com article on Guthrie's departure- https://www.beaconjournal.com/story/sports/college/zips/2024/11/09/akron-zips-athletic-director-charles-guthrie-part-ways-ncaa/76162234007/

I was okay with about every logo for the last 20 years: the kangaroo with Akron Zips across it, the A with the kangaroo head, the Z and the new A. The only one I disliked was the awful script Akron.

6'4" senior point guard Augustus Marciulionis leads the Gaels at 18.5 ppg. playing a whopping 38 minutes per game so far. He's also averaging 7.5 apg. He's the son of NBA Hall of Famer and former Golden State Warrior Sarunas Marciulionis. 6'8" sophomore forward Paulius Mauraskas is also averaging 18'5 ppg while leading the team in rebounding at 12.5 rpg.

I understand the branding/logo issues are frustrating but I'd be fine with them going full Penn State for a reasonable football program.

...and not cut their budget when you are sending them into strictly money driven early season games.

If so, it should feel familiar. They're 1-8 in football.

The Zips head to St. Mary's Tuesday night to face the 2-0 Gaels. The Gaels thus far have beaten Towson and Chattanooga. The following are excerpts from the WCC preview: The Gaels, picked second in the league by the coaches, were 15-1 in WCC play and won the Conference tournament for the fourth time since 2010 last season — the only WCC team to interrupt Gonzaga’s dominance. The Gaels lost four key players, including two-time All-WCC guard Aidan Mahaney. But nine players return, led by senior PG Augustas Marciulionis (12.4 points, 5.3 assists), who was voted the WCC’s Player of the Year last season. He was joined on the All-WCC first team by senior center Mitchell Saxen (11.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.3 blocks). Also back is senior forward Lake Barrett (5.5 points, 3.5 rebounds). Sophomore guard Jordan Ross figures to see a bigger role. Top newcomers: Arizona transfer forward Paulius Muraskas (2.7 points), a 6-foot-8, 235-pound sophomore from Lithuania, is expected to play a significant role. Sophomore forward Ashton Hardaway (2.3 points), the son of former NBA star Penny Hardaway, is a transfer from Memphis. Oakland-born freshman guard Mikey Lewis, a four-star prospect from Prolific Prep, has shown promise in early workouts.

Started out slow then got hot in the 2nd half.

Only 10 dressed. Josiah and Connor in street clothes, Zack and Mahaffey in knee braces, Wiilson in a boot. Shammah started for Josiah. That brought Marvin Musiime-Kamali in as the 10th guy in the rotation. Sharron and Gray were the offensive leaders, Seth Wilson had a bunch of assists. They faced zone all 40 minutes.

Here's the memo that went to staff- The University of Akron and Director of Athletics Charles Guthrie have mutually agreed to part ways, effective immediately, to allow Guthrie to pursue another opportunity. “Today is bittersweet but, after extensive soul-searching and a lot of prayer, we have decided that it is in the best interest of both my UA family and my own family to part now,” Guthrie said. “We have treasured our time with Zips Nation and eagerly look forward to our next chapter. It has been a true honor to serve alongside an extraordinary team of coaches, athletic staff and administrators who prioritize the student-athlete experience, operate with unwavering integrity and have a tireless work ethic. Thank you to our dedicated alumni, donors and fans. Go Zips!” Guthrie has led UA Athletics since July 2021, managing the department’s 18 NCAA Division I programs with a steadfast commitment to the safety and continued positive experience of the University’s student-athletes. To ensure the health and well-being of all 500 Zips student-athletes, Guthrie spearheaded a 10-year partnership with Akron Children’s Hospital, now Akron Athletics’ sole health care provider. During Guthrie’s tenure as AD, Akron Athletics won 11 MAC championships, including Men’s Basketball’s advancement to the NCAA Tournament in 2022 and 2024. In 2022, Guthrie helped secure affiliate membership for Akron Men’s Soccer in the BIG EAST Conference. This season, the team captured the program's first-ever BIG EAST regular season title. Additionally, the University has appreciated Guthrie’s fundraising efforts that secured the two largest individual cash gifts in department history. He initiated the creation of the department’s inaugural major giving society - the Summit Circle. He also prioritized transformational enhancements to Akron’s athletics facilities with the opening of the Wentz Financial Group Basketball Player Development Center, and other improvements including new artificial turf and a new state-of-the-art video board at InfoCision Stadium and an overhaul of the Lee R. Jackson Track and Field Complex. President R.J. Nemer states, “On behalf of The University of Akron, I extend thanks to Charles for his three-year tenure and for the dedication he showed for the advancement of our UA student-athletes and Akron Athletics.” The Office of the President, led by Chief Strategy Officer Matt Juravich, is collaborating with colleagues in Akron Athletics to ensure a smooth transitionary period.

It's being reported as a mutual parting of the ways for Charles to pursue other opportunities.

Charles and the athletic department parted ways today. More to follow.

I understand it was a personal fit issue, not grades. Furman is a university named after a Baptist pastor with a school motto of "Christo et Doctrinae" which translates to "For Christ and Learning." That had to be quite a transition from the Portage County School of Animal Husbandry.

Fair enough. Good job with the numbers. I think we would all like to see some top notch OOC games, especially at the JAR. That being said, when similarly situated programs are having similar OOC schedules it tells me that maybe it is a "difficulty" thing across the board for decent mid-majors rather than UA not adequately scheduling. Another story Groce told at the reception was that after they played a very tight game against a more prominent opponent that was coached by a friend of his as they were walking through the handshake line the coach leaned into him and told him "we are NEVER playing you again." I suspect that may have been Huggins after the West Virginia game.

The Mad Ants are at the charge tomorrow.