BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. — Gardner-Webb University introduced its new athletics director on Wednesday.
Andrew T. Goodrich comes to the Runnin' Bulldogs after spending a handful of years at Syracuse University as the Deputy Director of Athletics and Chief Marketing Officer.
GWU says that Goodrich helped Syracuse's marketing efforts to launch the ACC Network into over 40 million homes.
Goodrich said he is also a big proponent of Name, Image and Likeness for student-athletes.
The New York native says that goes back to his days as a college baseball player for Cumberland University in Tennessee, where he helped the squad to the 1998 NAIA World Series.
"If I had the ability to generate $500 a month every month, that would have eliminated the insecurity I felt about paying my rent, about getting something to eat," Goodrich said. "When you eliminate that insecurity for our student-athletes, they can focus on their schoolwork and focus on their craft."
Goodrich was introduced at a ceremony at the school Wednesday afternoon.
"The passion is palpable, and everyone who meets Andrew will quickly learn that he simply won't be outworked," GWU President William Downs told the school's website.
GWU says that Goodrich helped revamp the athletics brand at South Florida while there.
"I'm looking forward to demonstrating to everybody that brand is a belief. It begins from within. We are as big as we want to be," Goodrich said. "We can manifest it and grow it into the type of brand that is known beyond the state of North Carolina, beyond people just in the United States. This can become a global brand. We have to choose first to want to do that, and put in the work."
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