Joel Gunterman Named New Chaffey College Athletic Director

Chaffey College has hired Joel Gunterman, a longtime coach and leader of community college athletic programs, as athletic director. He officially started his position on June 3.

Gunterman previously served as Los Angeles Mission College interim athletics director, head strength and conditioning coach and fitness center coordinator. He will oversee Chaffey’s athletics program, which includes 14 intercollegiate teams that compete in the Inland Empire Athletic Conference, South Coast Conference and the Southern California Football Association, 21 coaches, faculty and athletics department staff, as well as more than 300 athletes.

“I’ve been getting a lot of texts from my friends and other coaches asking ‘How was your first week?’ and I’ve told them it’s busy, but a good busy,” he said. “It’s more like I’m busy because I’m getting things done. I’m meeting new people, shaking hands and everything’s just been such a smooth transition.”

Gunterman competed in soccer in high school, college and professionally with the United Soccer League before pursuing a master’s degree in sports administration at Valparaiso University in Indiana. His proudest coaching moment came not from soccer, but as an assistant coach for women’s volleyball at Kansas Wesleyan University, where he helped lead the team to a Hall of Fame induction in 2018.

His first taste of being an athletic director was a trial by fire, because he took on the position during the pandemic. Los Angeles Mission, which only had on-campus athletic facilities for volleyball, no longer had access to city parks to train and compete due to COVID restrictions. Gunterman found himself seeking out other schools for assistance, and wore multiple hats, including game day manager, statistician and announcer for volleyball games due to staffing cuts.

“It was a big scramble, but we came out on top and it was one of the most successful years in terms of academic transfers and wins vs. losses,” he said.

Gunterman wants to build on Chaffey’s successes on the field, the court and the pool as well as the classroom, make coaches feel supported and heard, and boost engagement among alumni by recognizing them at games. He wants to build up Chaffey as a school that student-athletes want to attend because of transfer rates, academic success and winning teams.

The former student-athlete says he looks forward to giving back to the next generation, and is excited for his new role because he’ll be able to impact far more people than as a coach. Gunterman looks forward to making a difference for the Panthers and Chaffey as a whole.

“I feel like it’s already home,” Gunterman said. “It already feels like a part of me and I know I’m going to be here for a very long time.”