University of Oklahoma Athletics
OU Mourns the Passing of Dr. Gerald Gurney
February 25, 2022 | Athletics
NORMAN — The University of Oklahoma Athletics Department mourns the passing of former Senior Associate Athletics Director Dr. Gerald Gurney, who, as the leader of OU's academic and student life areas for the better part of 20 years starting in 1993, helped those areas experience unprecedented growth and success. He was 70.
President of the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A) in 2010-11 and the Drake Group from 2014-16, Gurney also served as a professor, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in the subject areas of athletics in higher education, athletics academic reform and ethics in athletics. Additionally, he researched and wrote for a number of national higher education journals and co-authored the book "Unwinding Madness: What Went Wrong with College Sports and How to Fix It." In 2006, he received the N4A's Lan Hewlett Award, one of the most prestigious honors bestowed by the organization. In 2021, the Drake Group named its service award after Gurney, its first recipient.
"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Gurney, a distinguished and decorated athletics administrator who cared deeply for and had a profound impact on the many, many student-athletes he served at Oklahoma," said OU Vice President and Director of Athletics Joe Castiglione. "Beyond the vast number of lives he touched within our athletics department, he was also an accomplished professor who loved to share his deep intercollegiate athletics knowledge with his students, and he will be greatly missed by so many. Our prayers and sincerest sympathies are with his wife, Dr. Debra Stuart, and daughter, Dr. Rachel Gurney."
Gurney began his career in athletics as an academic counselor at Iowa State University before serving as assistant athletics director for academic affairs at Southern Methodist University and associate athletics director for academic support and compliance at the University of Maryland. Later at Maryland, as assistant to the provost, his duties focused on campus retention efforts and undergraduate academic advising.
Gurney graduated cum laude from The Ohio State University in 1973 with a degree in English education. He earned his master's degree in student personnel work and counseling from Ohio State in 1976 and received his Ph.D. in higher education administration from Iowa State in 1980.
President of the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics (N4A) in 2010-11 and the Drake Group from 2014-16, Gurney also served as a professor, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in the subject areas of athletics in higher education, athletics academic reform and ethics in athletics. Additionally, he researched and wrote for a number of national higher education journals and co-authored the book "Unwinding Madness: What Went Wrong with College Sports and How to Fix It." In 2006, he received the N4A's Lan Hewlett Award, one of the most prestigious honors bestowed by the organization. In 2021, the Drake Group named its service award after Gurney, its first recipient.
"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Gurney, a distinguished and decorated athletics administrator who cared deeply for and had a profound impact on the many, many student-athletes he served at Oklahoma," said OU Vice President and Director of Athletics Joe Castiglione. "Beyond the vast number of lives he touched within our athletics department, he was also an accomplished professor who loved to share his deep intercollegiate athletics knowledge with his students, and he will be greatly missed by so many. Our prayers and sincerest sympathies are with his wife, Dr. Debra Stuart, and daughter, Dr. Rachel Gurney."
Gurney began his career in athletics as an academic counselor at Iowa State University before serving as assistant athletics director for academic affairs at Southern Methodist University and associate athletics director for academic support and compliance at the University of Maryland. Later at Maryland, as assistant to the provost, his duties focused on campus retention efforts and undergraduate academic advising.
Gurney graduated cum laude from The Ohio State University in 1973 with a degree in English education. He earned his master's degree in student personnel work and counseling from Ohio State in 1976 and received his Ph.D. in higher education administration from Iowa State in 1980.
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