SWFL shakeup: Chris Harris departs South Fort Myers for ECS, South hires Allen Woodard

The Wolfpack and the Sentinels will soon have new leaders in their athletic departments.

Chris Harris, the athletic director at South Fort Myers for six years, will take the job at Evangelical Christian School after Scott Guttery served in the role for three years. Guttery will continue on as the director of basketball operations and head varsity basketball coach.

In Harris’ place, South Fort Myers hired Allen Woodard, a former assistant athletic director at Gateway Charter and Cape Coral High School.

“I was ecstatic when I got that phone call,” said Woodard, who also coached track and cross country at his previous schools and boys and girls weightlifting at Cape Coral.

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The Temple University graduate always had the goal of working in athletics, and the opening at South Fort Myers had particular appeal to him.

“I’ve always loved the culture that South had here,” Woodard said. “Everything they do, you can tell there’s a sense of community.”

Harris said he has confidence in his successor.

“Allen is a phenomenal guy,” he said. “I know for a fact he’ll do a wonderful job here at South. He has that swag we love here at South.”

For Harris, who was first approached by Guttery about the job three years ago, it was about making the right decision for him and his family.

“It just felt like the timing was right,” he said.

Over the past year, ECS has brought top area talent to their athletic department, like Johnny Manetta, former state champion softball coach with Fort Myers, and Dwayne Donnell, former state champion girls basketball coach with Dunbar.

“It’s a top notch job, and I’m very thankful to have that opportunity,” Harris said.

Harris knows the job won’t be without its challenges but subscribes to the philosophy that if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.

There has been plenty of change in his life since starting at South Fort Myers – he was not a parent at the start of his tenure, and now he is a father of four.

That helped him decide it was time to move on.

"It's just a blessing," Harris said.

Follow News-Press Sports Reporter Dustin Levy on Twitter: @DustinBLevy. For additional coverage of sports across Southwest Florida, follow @newspresssports and @ndnprepzone on Instagram.