Maryville College President Dr. Bryan F. Coker on Nov. 20, 2024, removed the interim tag from Dr. Andrew Wu's title and named him the permanent Director of Athletics.
Wu served as Maryville's interim director starting Aug. 9, when he took over after a six-year tenure as Associate Dean and Athletics Director at Goucher College in Baltimore.
During his first fall season, Wu has presided over three championship trophies for the Scots with two teams advancing to the NCAA postseason. He also led the department's Impact 20 for 24 fundraising drive to nearly double its previous record high amount, bringing in $150,000 from 547 donors to support all 19 varsity teams and the general athletics fund.
"I can't imagine a better individual for this role," Coker said. "Andrew Wu brings an ideal set of experiences – as an athletic director, coach, and student athlete – all at liberal arts colleges.
"In his time as our Interim Director of Athletics, Andrew has built strong relationships on- and off-campus, enhanced fundraising, and aligned the athletics budget with departmental priorities."
Wu emerged as the leading candidate for the permanent role in a search process supported by Dr. Kurt Patberg of Mammoth Consulting.
Building on Winning Tradition
Wu's time at Goucher saw him build the athletics program there and position it for continued growth. At Maryville, Wu has taken over the reins of a successful program and built on that winning tradition while adding the foundations for the department's move to the Southern Athletic Association beginning with football in fall 2025.
"I'm thrilled and honored to stay on board and lead Maryville Athletics forward during a time of exciting change and opportunity," Wu said. "I want to thank Dr. Coker, the Board of Directors, and the faculty, staff, and students for entrusting me to continue elevating our Athletics program and truly embracing me this fall as a member of the Maryville community.
"There's much we intend to accomplish, and I'm excited to truly get to work as we prepare to storm into the SAA and further into the national spotlight."
Fast Start with the Scots
In fall 2024, Maryville Football won its first USA South championship in six years and completed its best regular season (8-1) since 1978. The Scots in Women's Soccer swept the Collegiate Conference of the South's regular season and tournament titles for the second year in a row and made the program's 12th appearance in the NCAAs.
Maryville Volleyball finished second in the CCS regular season and advanced to the conference tournament semifinals for a 25th consecutive season. Men's Soccer also played its way into the league tourney semifinals for the 10th time in the last 11 full seasons, and both Cross Country teams completed terrific seasons that positioned them for sustained growth and success.
"While our recent athletics successes have been long in the making, I'm grateful for Andrew's stable leadership this semester, in which a number of teams experienced post-season play, including three conference championships and two NCAA tournament appearances," Coker said. "Andrew views our impending transition to the Southern Athletic Association (SAA) not as a challenge to be overcome, but as an opportunity to be fully embraced. He is the right person at the right time to effectively lead our athletics programs, at this important moment in the College's history."
At Goucher, Wu oversaw a student-athlete population that grew from 18 percent to more than 30 percent during his tenure. Goucher teams won several Landmark Conference championships, the equestrian team finished as high as 8th nationally, several sports earned their first-ever postseason berths, and in 2023-24, Gopher student-athletes were awarded the most All-Conference selections in school history.
Wu's athletic advancement efforts led to increased alumni engagement and philanthropy, and he oversaw the completion of multiple major facility projects. On a national level, Wu has served on the NCAA Diversity and Inclusion Working Group, as a mentor for the Student Immersion Program, and Goucher was honored as one of three recipients across all Divisions for the NCAA Diversity and Inclusion Award.
All-Region Soccer Student-Athlete, Coach
Before serving as Goucher's Associate Dean and Athletic Director, Wu served as the College's Assistant Dean of Students for five years, overseeing numerous areas of Student Affairs. Prior to Goucher, Wu was employed at Bennington College in Vermont, where he established the institution's first athletics and recreation department. Wu also served as an Assistant Men's Soccer Coach at both Mount St. Mary's University on the Division I level and McDaniel College.
As an undergraduate student-athlete, he was a goalkeeper for McDaniel, earning All-Centennial Conference and All-Region selections. Wu received his bachelor's degree in philosophy and a Master's in Sport Administration from McDaniel College, an MBA from Mount St. Mary's University, and his Doctor of Education degree from Northeastern University.
He and his wife, Kaitlyn, are relocating to Maryville with their children, Griffin and James.
