Mark Guthrie retired after three years as the UW-La Crosse External Relations Coordinator in 2019-20.
He served four years as Central Michigan University's Director of Track & Field/Cross Country in 2013-17. Guthrie had direct oversight of all aspects of the men's and women's cross country and track & field programs at Central Michigan, including competition and practice scheduling of facilities. Guthrie handled the Chippewa Fundraising for the cross country and track & field programs as well as budgeting, eligibility, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) compliance, recruiting, media requests and other assigned duties.
Prior to moving to Central Michigan University, Guthrie was an assistant track & field coach at the University of Wisconsin from 2006-13. The Badgers won the 2007 NCAA Division I Men's Indoor Track & Field title. Wisconsin captured eight Big Ten Indoor and Outdoor Conference championships while Guthrie was an assistant coach.
Guthrie served as UW-La Crosse Head Men's Track & Field coach from 1988 to 2006, leading the Eagles to 22 NCAA Division III Championships. UW-La Crosse captured 12 indoor and 10 outdoor titles, sweeping the championships in 10 different seasons (1988, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006). His peers in the United States Track Coaches Association (now the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, USTFCCA) named Guthrie the Division III National Coach of the Year eight times and regional coach of the year on 11 different occasions.
Under Guthrie's direction, UW-La Crosse won 34 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) titles (16 indoor; 18 outdoor) as he was selected the league's coach of the year 16 times. He was named the WIAC Men's Track & Field All-Time Coach in conjunction with the conference's Centennial Celebration in 2012. Guthrie was inducted into the inaugural 30-member WIAC Hall of Fame Class August 4, 2012. He joined UW-La Crosse's Phil Esten and Roger Harring in the 2012 WIAC Hall of Fame.
Guthrie coached UW-La Crosse's first Olympic gold medalist, Andrew Rock, who won a gold medal in the 4x400-meter relay at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. Rock was a 17-time NCAA Division III All-America at UW-La Crosse.
Earning his bachelor's degree from Wartburg College (Iowa) in 1975 and master's degree from Chicago State University (Ill.) in 1987, Guthrie was inducted into the USTFCCCA Hall of Fame in 2008. In 1997 he was selected first vice-president of the USTFCCCA Division III Track & Field Coaches and served as Division III Track & Field president from 2000 to 2004.
Guthrie was awarded the United States Sports Academy's Distinguished Service Award in 2004. He was inducted into the UW-La Crosse Wall of Fame in 2009.
While at UW-La Crosse, Guthrie served in event management for intercollegiate athletics from 1988 to 1992 and was the university's director of athletic and physical education facilities from 1992 to 2006. He was the meet director for the 1995 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships and chair of the La Crosse Organizing Committee for the 1997 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
He served as a physical education and history instructor at Fennimore (Wis.) Community High School from 1975-80 as well as head boys cross country and track & field coach. Guthrie taught physical education and served as head cross country and head boys and girls track & field coach at Naperville (Ill.) North High School from 1980-87.
