This is the first of four profiles about the 2025 inductees of the EMU Athletic Hall of Honor. For more information about the Hall of Honor and a full list of inductees, visit emuroyals.com/honors/hall-of-honor.
Phil Guengerich '70 was a staple at EMU sporting events between 2000 and 2013. His part-time position as athletic events coordinator turned into a full-time role responsible for ticket sales, concessions, game events, and some fundraising.
Guengerich graduated with a degree in elementary education from EMU, where he played on the soccer team and met his wife, Susan Hess Guengerich '69. He taught fifth grade at Linville-Edom Elementary School in Rockingham County, Virginia, for 30 years before returning to EMU.
"I came back because I loved working with young people, always enjoyed sports, and was familiar with EMU." He joined his father, Paul T. Guengerich, who worked part-time in alumni relations into his 90s after having served in various full-time capacities from 1964 to 1981. His mother, Marjorie Yoder Guengerich '68, earned a teaching degree from EMU. His three children—Melani Guengerich Novinger '96, Gail Guengerich '98, and John Guengerich '01—also graduated from EMU.
Guengerich used his experience in classroom management to train his staff of work-study students to run EMU events like a well-oiled machine—from setting up pre-game to slinging hot dogs and hamburgers in-game to doing laundry post-game. While he got to know staff members and assigned jobs accordingly, he expected students to "dress neatly, be courteous, prompt, and accepting of all people."
Guengerich managed some high-profile events at EMU, including multiple ODAC Championships and games during the 2003 women's basketball Sweet 16 run and 2010 Runnin' Royals Elite Eight berth, but says his best memories are the friendships he built with EMU Athletics personnel, work-study staff, student-athletes, and business owners who supported the university.
Guengerich will be honored at a ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 10 a.m. in the MainStage Theater (University Commons 170) during Homecoming 2025. For a full schedule of Homecoming events and activities, visit emu.edu/homecoming.
