KC Smurthwaite is a consultant for Athletics Admin, specializing in revenue generation, licensing, marketing, and higher education. He has almost two decades of experience in collegiate athletics and the sports and entertainment industry. Smurthwaite is a fractional employee of several athletic departments across the country. He also teaches sports management and journalism as an adjunct professor. Follow him on Twitter or connect on LinkedIn. Smurthwaite can also be reached at [email protected].
This time of year in Flagstaff is usually a “slow down” period for Northern Arizona Athletics. It typically comes on the heels of yet another outdoor track and field championship for the Lumberjacks — both men’s and women’s teams — who recently pulled off a rare calendar sweep of conference titles in cross country, indoor, and outdoor track. In most athletic departments, the post-spring lull offers time to regroup, reflect, and plan.
But for one person and one office in the “Skydome,” the pace has done anything but slow down. And no, this isn’t a nod to Arizona’s stance on ignoring daylight saving time.
Enter Uri Farkas.
The longtime No. 2 at NAU — and running mate to recently retired Mike Marlow — Farkas now finds himself at the helm of Lumberjack Athletics during one of the most uncertain and rapidly evolving eras in Division I sports. Farkas followed Marlow from Washington State to NAU (not to mention a stint together at Oregon). On Feb. 11, Marlow announced his retirement, prompting the university to appoint Farkas as Interim Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics.
The word interim is a funny one. It suggests that one role is temporary, but in today’s world of college athletics, everything feels temporary. Conference affiliations shift, rules evolve, and entire programs adjust course overnight. In that environment, Farkas brings a steady urgency and clear intention: to keep NAU moving forward, no matter how fast the ground beneath may shift.
Farkas, an Oregon native, earned his B.A. in Journalism from the University of Montana in 1998 and a master’s in Sport Management from The Ohio State University in 2000. That blend of communication and administration shows in his leadership style, especially in the opening days of his interim tenure.
“Within hours of Mike’s retirement announcement, I was in communication with the president’s office and Human Resources to get everything in place,” Farkas said. “As far as a campus leadership standpoint, everything was seamless.”
Internally, however, Farkas knew his first priority was people.
“It was about making sure our staff, coaches — and most importantly, our student-athletes — were all heard,” he said. “I wanted to assure them that everything that was going great would continue that way. The future is very bright and will remain that way.”
That mindset led Farkas to do something unorthodox: send out an all-staff email declaring his calendar wide open for his first week.
“My door was literally open,” he said. “It was one of the coolest things in my career. I had strength coaches, equipment staff, and assistant coaches, among many others, all stop by. These were real-time insights that helped me understand our department more intimately.
There’s something to be said about face-to-face conversations — it gave me a pulse right away.”
Farkas doesn’t shy away from acknowledging the deep influence of Marlow on his leadership approach, but he’s also been quick to put his stamp on the department.
“I’ve been a direct report to Mike for over a decade. I’m extremely grateful that he let me be in the room and have a voice,” Farkas said. “But I’m not a carbon copy of Mike. I’ve expanded our executive staff because I think that helps us serve our student-athletes better. I have a different leadership style; it’s not better, it’s different.”
His leadership was tested almost immediately. Within weeks of being named interim, NAU saw a head coaching change in women’s basketball.
“We had a coach leave for a great opportunity,” Farkas explained. “We support that. It’s not just about developing student-athletes — it’s about growing coaches, too. Within 24 hours, I had a plan for our president, involved two trusted staff members, and brought in Kyle Bowlsby Sports Advisors to lead the search. I was prepared because I’d been deeply involved in our previous football search.”
Beyond coaching hires, there are crucial discussions and ultimately choices ahead for an “interim.”
“There are tough decisions ahead,” Farkas admitted. “But we will make them to create the best version of Lumberjack Athletics in mind.”
He emphasized communication as the backbone of his interim tenure, particularly with university leadership.
“I meet with President Cruz Rivera frequently,” Farkas said. “I keep him updated on budgets and decision-making, and more importantly, I make sure he knows the why behind those decisions. That’s the key in an interim role — to leave a roadmap in place. There’s uncertainty with that term, yes, but there’s no uncertainty about my commitment or preparation.”
Of course, the elephant in the room remains: Will Farkas eventually become the full-time athletic director?
“Oh, it came up — absolutely,” he laughed, referencing conversations during the women’s basketball search. “I did my best to navigate that answer because I want to be the next athletic director at NAU. I feel prepared for it. But the reality is, I’m an interim. I assured candidates that we have a plan and a culture that doesn’t depend on one person in the chair. We’re set up for success.”
That confidence stems not only from experience, but from results. The Lumberjacks have built a strong foundation: elite Olympic sports programs, added investment in football and basketball, a growing NIL presence, and academic achievement across the board.
“We’ve done extremely well in our Olympic sports, we’ve added resources across the board, and we’re seeing success — including a record number of student-athletes with GPAs of 3.0 or higher,” Farkas said. “We’ll continue to be creative with fundraising, revenue generation, and NIL. And the president has unwavering support for Lumberjack Athletics. President Cruz Rivera is one of our best fans.”
For now, the future remains unwritten. But whether interim or permanent, Uri Farkas is focused on writing the next chapter of NAU Athletics — one conversation, one decision, and open-door meeting at a time.
