Fee takes over as new athletic director

Published April 21, 2017

Andy Fee mentally circled the day last May when Vic Ceglas stepped down as Long Beach State athletic director. That was the job he wanted, the job he felt prepared to do.

On Thursday, Fee reached his career destination, having been named the school’s new athletic director. He comes to Long Beach after spending seven years as the Intercollegiate Athletics Deputy AD/Chief Development Officer at UC Santa Barbara.

“It (job) means the world to me,” Fee said from his Santa Barbara office. “I truly believe this is a great institutional fit. What I mean by that is, with my background and my skill set and values, I see them meshing very well with Long Beach State.

“Working currently in the Big West, I have an understanding of what it means to win at this level -- the resources, the effort you need to do. The coaches and athletes at Long Beach are already doing more with less.”

In announcing his hiring, President Jane Conoley said he brings “a wealth of experience and energy to Long Beach State.”

“His vision for the future of our athletics program provides me confidence that he will build on the many successes we have had over the years,” she said in a statement. “He will take our student-athletes to the next level, athletically and academically.”

Fee said that he doesn’t foresee making any big changes in the athletics department. The school currently has 19 Division I sports competing in the Big West Conference or Mountain Pacific Sports Federation.

The Beach has won six out of the past 10 Big West Commissioner’s Cups, honoring the most successful athletics program in the conference. The men’s volleyball team is ranked No. 1 in the nation, while the Dirtbags baseball team is No. 12.

“Many times, jobs are rebuilding jobs, structurally something is wrong, you have to fix this or change that,” Fee said. “I don’t see that at all at Long Beach. It’s more about refinement than rebuilding. The foundation is a strong one.”

Fee said his first task will be getting out into the community, connecting with alumni and donors and hiring a women’s basketball coach to replace Jody Wynn, who left to take the coaching job at University of Washington.

He said he will attend the annual Jewel of the Night dinner May 6, and he and his wife of 14 years, Nicole, will relocate within the next three months.

Related

No. 1 men’s volleyball team heads to MPSF final

No. 12 Dirtbags take on UCI I Black and Blue series