Andy Fee, executive director of athletics for Cal State Long Beach, announced his departure after more than five years at the university on Aug. 9. Fee is taking a position at the University of Washington as its deputy director of athletics and chief of staff.
“It’s been an absolutely great five years here but professionally, this is just a bigger stage and a really great opportunity for me,” Fee said. “So [it’s] a little bit bittersweet, you know, loving Long Beach State and the campus, but [it was] just something that I could not turn down.”
The news came as a surprise to some, since Fee had just signed a contract extension last April that would keep him at Long Beach through 2026.
Fee and his wife Nicole Fee will be leaving for Washington at the end of the month, according to a statement from CSULB President Jane Close Conoley. Washington will be the fifth institution Fee has worked at, but the first in the powerhouse Pac-12 conference.
During his time in Long Beach, Fee saw the athletics program through back-to-back NCAA National Championships from the men’s volleyball team in 2018 and 2019, a Big West Commissioner’s Cup in 2021, 16 conference athletes of the year, 13 conference coaches of the year and 11 Big West conference titles from various teams.
Fee said one of his most cherished memories during his time at Long Beach will be the second NCAA title, since it was hosted in the Walter Pyramid.
“Winning a national championship is pretty amazing. I mean, that’s one of the toughest things to accomplish, but to be able to do that at home in your own arena, the Walter pyramid, that’s really special,” Fee said. “I don’t know too many teams in the NCAA that get to win a national championship in their home venue … That is truly special.”
The success did not come easy, Fee said, due to the disparity in funding between Long Beach and its competing universities. While most of the teams at Long Beach compete within the Big West Conference, a handful of sports have entered more competitive conferences such as PAC-12, The Big 10 and the Southeastern Conference.
“One of the biggest challenges is we compete against high resource athletic departments and we do so successfully… we win, but that’s a really big challenge,” Fee said. “We always laugh and joke that we do more with less, but in order to do more with less you need the right people.”
Fee will have more resources in his new position, as the athletic fund for Washington University currently rests at $140 million. In comparison, Long Beach’s athletic program budget for 2021-22 is $5.3 million, according to the athletic department’s budget summary.
Another facet Fee is looking forward to, he said, is returning to a school with a football program. Long Beach’s football team was disbanded in 1955. Despite the larger budget and excitement about the football program, Fee said it has been “bittersweet” announcing his departure.
“I’m not gonna lie, I’m a crybaby,” Fee said, laughing. “It was really tough. I really try to invest in people and build relationships, so there were a lot of tears talking to the coaches. I really mean it when I say that I love this place, and I love the people here. That’s been the best part.”
