Gardner-Webb Welcomes New Vice President and Director of Athletics

Andrew Goodrich Officially Welcomed With Campus Meet and Greet on Wednesday, Sept. 14

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Today, Gardner-Webb President Dr. William Downs named Dr. Andrew T. Goodrich as Vice President and Director of Athletics.

Goodrich, a fast-rising star in the business, joins the Gardner-Webb family from Syracuse University, where he has served as Deputy Director of Athletics & Chief Marketing Officer since 2018. The Owego, N.Y., native will begin his role at Gardner-Webb in early October.

A campus meet and greet is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 14, at 1 p.m. in Tucker Student Center. All Gardner-Webb students, faculty, staff and fans are invited to attend the event. 

“I have great confidence that Andrew Goodrich will lead Gardner-Webb athletics into a new and highly successful era,” praised GWU President William Downs.  “He has vision, tenacity, experience, and an appetite for building championship programs.  The passion is palpable, and everyone who meets Andrew will quickly learn that he simply won’t be outworked.  The future for Runnin’ Bulldogs sports is incredibly bright!”

“The sum of my life experiences as a collegiate student-athlete, coach, professor, and administrator has generated a burning desire to create a winning culture and lead individuals, teams, and organizations to deliver championship-level performances on and off the field,” said Goodrich. “I believe that all challenges can be overcome, and those championships earned, when we create alignment, leverage strategic planning, creativity, hard work, positive attitude, trust in our teammates, and faith in God that we are serving a greater purpose.

“I am so grateful to have the opportunity to work with the student-athletes, coaches, staff, campus and community leaders at Gardner-Webb University as we move into this new era of intercollegiate athletics. Most particularly, President Dr. William Downs and the entire search committee, who demonstrated so much passion for the Runnin’ Bulldogs.”

In addition to his role as Deputy Director of Athletics with the Syracuse Orange, Goodrich serves as a member of Chancellor Kent Syverud’s University Leadership Team and Athletic Director John Wildhack’s Executive Cabinet.

He also serves as the athletics department’s liaison for the ACC Network and as a member of the ACC’s Branding, Marketing and Revenue Development, and Football Strategy working groups.

Goodrich’s work in the area of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) ushered in a new era of co-licensing for student-athletes at Syracuse and is a testament to his dedication to providing a terrific student-athlete experience.

He recently helped negotiate a ten-year naming rights agreement for the JMA Wireless Dome and has been the key figure in several major deals for the Orange athletics department – including the school’s first appearance in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl Kickoff Game, Syracuse’s largest all sports apparel deal with Nike and an all sports deal with INFLCR to develop student-athlete branding, NIL education and preparation, and group licensing opportunities.

Goodrich also negotiated the largest e-commerce deal in Syracuse history – nearly double the size of the previous agreement – and led the school’s marketing efforts to launch the ACC Network into over 40 million homes nationwide. 

Under Goodrich’s watch, Syracuse led the nation in men’s basketball attendance three times and set an NCAA men’s basketball single-game attendance record of 35,642 fans for its game vs. Duke on February 23, 2019. That success in promoting events translated to football as well, with the Orange hosting a crowd of 50,248 for its game against Clemson on September 14, 2019. It was the Dome’s first sellout since 1998 and the third-largest crowd since the facility opened in 1980.

Record football season ticket sales, large corporate sponsorship deals and enhancements to the fan experience at Syracuse athletics events are just a sampling of the positive impact made during Goodrich’s time with the Orange.

Syracuse was also presented with the 2022 Clyde Award as the top Learfield Corporate Partnerships Property of the Year, a tremendous honor for Goodrich’s external team and partnership with Learfield.

Goodrich has a strong foundation of success at several stops, including roles at the University of South Florida, the University of Miami (Fla.) and Notre Dame.

During his time at South Florida, Goodrich helped revamp the athletics department’s brand and oversaw broad growth in several key areas. He was part of a leadership team that negotiated an all-sports contract with adidas in 2017 and a multi-media rights deal that same year with the Tampa Bay Lightning/Vinik Sports Group. Together with VSG, he also played a key role in securing naming rights for the Yuengling Center.

A sign of things to come, Goodrich oversaw record ticket sales, impressive increases in donor revenue and worked to provide resources and funding to enhance the overall student-athlete experience at the Tampa, Fla., school.

Goodrich’s efforts at Miami produced the highest average football attendance of the Sun Life Stadium era in 2013 and a leap in ticket revenue of nearly 28 percent. The Hurricanes also set a single-season record for most sellouts and season tickets sold for men’s basketball in 2012-2013.

Goodrich dove into his college athletics career in 2004 as a graduate assistant for marketing and special events at Notre Dame. He also gained valuable experience as Director of Athletics for Owego Free Academy for two years.

A former student-athlete on the baseball diamond at Cumberland University of Lebanon, Tenn., Goodrich earned a bachelor’s degree in business from the school in 1999. He received an MBA in marketing management from Notre Dame and earned his doctorate in higher education administration from USF in 2015.

He was a three-time academic all-conference selection at Cumberland and was part of the school’s 1998 NAIA College World Series team. In addition to numerous speaking engagements at conventions and events, Goodrich has experience teaching business communications, sports marketing and athletics administration courses during his career.

Goodrich and his wife Erika, have two King Charles Cavaliers – Arielle and Charley.

What They’re Saying About Andrew Goodrich

ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips, Ph.D.

“Andrew is an outstanding leader that brings a wealth of experience to the role as Vice-President and Athletics Director at Gardner-Webb University. He has made significant impacts during his career and will serve as a tireless ambassador for the Runnin’ Bulldogs and the more than 600 student-athletes that complete across 22 sponsored sports. Congratulations to Gardner-Webb on its excellent hire and wishing Andrew and Erika all the best!”

Syracuse Men’s Basketball Head Coach and Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim

“We appreciate all Andrew did at Syracuse. He will bring great enthusiasm to his position at Gardner-Webb.”

View the formal announcement/meet and greet below.

Gardner-Webb University is North Carolina’s recognized leader in private, Christian higher education. A Carnegie-Classified Doctoral/Professional University, GWU is home to six professional schools, 14 academic departments, more than 80 undergraduate and graduate majors, and a world-class faculty. Located on a beautiful 225-acre campus in Boiling Springs, N.C., Gardner-Webb prepares graduates to impact their chosen professions, equips them with the skills to advance the frontiers of knowledge, and inspires them to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of others. Ignite your future at Gardner-Webb.edu.