Southern Scribes: From Street Hockey in Wisconsin to Colleges Around the Country
6/1/2023 10:25:00 AM | Football, General
Andy Harris does it all in the equipment room
Caleb Cook is a rising redshirt-sophomore multimedia journalism major from Brunswick, Georgia, who competes on the Eagle football team as an offensive lineman. He is part of the Southern Scribes, which consists of Georgia Southern student-athletes writing about their department.
STATESBORO - Whether it is fixing a football helmet or re-lacing a baseball glove, the Director of Equipment Operations has to do it all. Andrew Harris, often referred to as "Andy", is the assistant A.D. for equipment operations for Georgia Southern Athletics. He has been here for just over two and a half years.
He assists with the ordering and budgetary needs for athletics programs which includes receiving, distributing and returning equipment. However, he refers to himself as a jack of all trades because he must have many different skills to excel at his job.
"I have got to be able to cut grass," said Harris. "I got to be able to fit a football helmet. I got to be able to re-lace a glove. I got to be able to paint lines. I got to glue PVC together to make shoots for practice."
One of the things he loves about his job is the opportunities he gets to travel and see the country.
"One thing I try to do when we travel is go out to dinner and get a taste of the local flavor," said Harris. "I am not going to eat at some chain restaurant. I am going to some mom-and-pop restaurant. When we go to Louisiana Lafayette, I am looking for a Cajun place."
However, his favorite part of his job is seeing his athletes succeed both on and off the field. Whether it is a field, court or mat, Harris loves seeing them walk off with diplomas and opportunities.
"Not only does he oversee the equipment operation of football, but also the operation of all sports," said Tramelle Daniel, the head student equipment manager for the Georgia Southern football team. "He is all over the place, but he still manages to take care of each student-athletes and get everything done for each sport."
Daniel describes Harris as a dedicated worker and a very understanding person. He gives all his assistants their own sense of responsibility. This includes assigning people to different position groups to work with.
Harris was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he experienced both beautiful summers and cold harsh winters. Sports impacted his life early on as he always gravitated toward them. He grew up playing street hockey with his brother and cheering on the local teams such as the Bucks.
There were televised sports all year round. Harris would watch the Milwaukee Bucks in the winter and spring, the Green Bay Packers in the fall, and the Milwaukee Brewers in the summer.
He started working with sports while he was in high school. He wanted to play basketball for his school, but he was not blessed with the skills or ability needed to join the team.
His dad told him if he wanted to still be a part of sports he should become their manager. His dad was the manager of his own basketball team when he was in high school.
Harris would become his team's manager and ever since then, he has been working within athletic departments around the country.
"You know everybody leans on their parents for advice," said Harris. "I took my dad's advice, and 20 years later, here I am."
He interned at the University of Arizona for a year, before he won a couple of national titles at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater as their director of football operations and equipment manager.
After his time in Wisconsin, he went to the University of Minnesota and remained there for eight years before going to Southern Illinois University. Finally, he landed at Georgia Southern University in September 2020.
His workdays are generally 12-14 hours long. During football, he works from 6:00 am to around 7 or 8 at night. His day consists of meetings, planning practice, issuing equipment to players, setting up the field for practice and much more. After practice, he and his staff clean the field and wash all the clothes and equipment.
"What I do is not a job, it is a lifestyle," said Harris. "It is non-stop all the time, even on vacation."
His love for his job and family keeps him going strong and enjoying every single day. Harris has a wife, along with a son and a daughter, that he goes home to.
"He created a very calm environment for us to work in," said Aris Mercado, a former equipment manager for the Georgia Southern football team. "We all know there is a job to be done. We are put in high-pressure situations, but he knows that he can count on us. We also know that we can count on him."
Harris feeds off the energy of the students he helps. He says they all keep him young.
STATESBORO - Whether it is fixing a football helmet or re-lacing a baseball glove, the Director of Equipment Operations has to do it all. Andrew Harris, often referred to as "Andy", is the assistant A.D. for equipment operations for Georgia Southern Athletics. He has been here for just over two and a half years.
He assists with the ordering and budgetary needs for athletics programs which includes receiving, distributing and returning equipment. However, he refers to himself as a jack of all trades because he must have many different skills to excel at his job.
"I have got to be able to cut grass," said Harris. "I got to be able to fit a football helmet. I got to be able to re-lace a glove. I got to be able to paint lines. I got to glue PVC together to make shoots for practice."
One of the things he loves about his job is the opportunities he gets to travel and see the country.
"One thing I try to do when we travel is go out to dinner and get a taste of the local flavor," said Harris. "I am not going to eat at some chain restaurant. I am going to some mom-and-pop restaurant. When we go to Louisiana Lafayette, I am looking for a Cajun place."
However, his favorite part of his job is seeing his athletes succeed both on and off the field. Whether it is a field, court or mat, Harris loves seeing them walk off with diplomas and opportunities.
"Not only does he oversee the equipment operation of football, but also the operation of all sports," said Tramelle Daniel, the head student equipment manager for the Georgia Southern football team. "He is all over the place, but he still manages to take care of each student-athletes and get everything done for each sport."
Daniel describes Harris as a dedicated worker and a very understanding person. He gives all his assistants their own sense of responsibility. This includes assigning people to different position groups to work with.
Harris was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he experienced both beautiful summers and cold harsh winters. Sports impacted his life early on as he always gravitated toward them. He grew up playing street hockey with his brother and cheering on the local teams such as the Bucks.
There were televised sports all year round. Harris would watch the Milwaukee Bucks in the winter and spring, the Green Bay Packers in the fall, and the Milwaukee Brewers in the summer.
He started working with sports while he was in high school. He wanted to play basketball for his school, but he was not blessed with the skills or ability needed to join the team.
His dad told him if he wanted to still be a part of sports he should become their manager. His dad was the manager of his own basketball team when he was in high school.
Harris would become his team's manager and ever since then, he has been working within athletic departments around the country.
"You know everybody leans on their parents for advice," said Harris. "I took my dad's advice, and 20 years later, here I am."
He interned at the University of Arizona for a year, before he won a couple of national titles at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater as their director of football operations and equipment manager.
After his time in Wisconsin, he went to the University of Minnesota and remained there for eight years before going to Southern Illinois University. Finally, he landed at Georgia Southern University in September 2020.
His workdays are generally 12-14 hours long. During football, he works from 6:00 am to around 7 or 8 at night. His day consists of meetings, planning practice, issuing equipment to players, setting up the field for practice and much more. After practice, he and his staff clean the field and wash all the clothes and equipment.
"What I do is not a job, it is a lifestyle," said Harris. "It is non-stop all the time, even on vacation."
His love for his job and family keeps him going strong and enjoying every single day. Harris has a wife, along with a son and a daughter, that he goes home to.
"He created a very calm environment for us to work in," said Aris Mercado, a former equipment manager for the Georgia Southern football team. "We all know there is a job to be done. We are put in high-pressure situations, but he knows that he can count on us. We also know that we can count on him."
Harris feeds off the energy of the students he helps. He says they all keep him young.
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