In December, an unexpected departure from former FGCU Athletic Director Ken Kavanaugh left the FGCU Athletics Department without a director to begin the year. After months of searching, they announced Colin Hargis would fill the vacancy on April 29.
Hargis brings nearly two decades of experience in athletic administration to FGCU. He worked at the University of South Florida for five years and ten years at North Carolina State University, departing each tenure as an associate athletic director.
“It’s been 20 years of hard work, and hard work is the given,” Hargis said. “It’s an honor. There’s a privilege that comes with these types of opportunities, and the opportunity to do that here at FGCU is so special.”
Although Hargis has reached the highest position possible in an athletic department, he has not always wanted to be involved in sports. He went to college at Wingate University and planned to pursue a job in the financial sector in uptown Charlotte as an undergrad.
His plans changed when he interned for the AHL Albany River Rats, the affiliate of the New Jersey Devils at the time. As an intern, he was tasked to cut newspaper clips and fax them to be seen as press clippings.
“That really opened my eyes to just the business side of it, right behind the scenes of working in athletics or working in sports,” Hargis said. “It truly broadened my horizons, but it led me to realize I wanted to work in college athletics by the time I graduated, so I started to look for opportunities, and that’s what led me to NC State.”
Hargis’ first tenure in the world of sports was at North Carolina State University in their ticket office from 2004-09. During the majority of his time there, he served as the assistant of ticket operations, later moving to the University of South Florida to serve as assistant athletic director in ticket operations.
Over the next 15 years, he worked his way up the ladder at different associate athletic director positions, going from ticket operations to external relations. All of the experience made his move to FGCU the next logical step.
In his first year, Hargis wants to make FGCU athletics a premier destination for athletes. That starts with the athletic department.
“My primary goal for us as an athletics department is to be the best version of ourselves,” Hargis said. “What are we doing on a day-in and day-out basis, to create a people-first culture, to make sure that we’re producing a really solid foundation to drive this department forward.”
Hargis has only been on campus for four months and is excited to see the fanfare students will bring on gameday.
“There’s a lot of energy coming to the campus, and if we can tap into that as an athletics department, those really special moments, those really special events, games, matches, can take place, because, collectively as a community, it just creates a unique environment,” Hargis said. “People want to be here. People are coming here.”
