Search
-
April 25, 2024Andrew Worthington’s accent immediately commands attention, just as it did 20 years ago as a young new teacher and coach at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School.
Fittingly, perhaps, he found himself on the soccer field, taking over the program – one of many duties in his debut at the school – urging players with his British appeal.
“My accent then was a lot thicker,” Worthington said.
Soon, his next and latest role will be thicker: Bishop McGuinness principal.
Worthington, 45, has been named the school’s next principal, taking over for the retiring David Morton, effective July 1.
Worthington sat down with Sooner Catholic for a Q&A to discuss his time at Bishop McGuinness, coaching futbol in a football state and more ahead of the life-changing event to come.
Q. What does it mean to you to be the principal at Bishop McGuinness?
A. “It’s the greatest opportunity I can think of, to be able to work with the mission of Bishop McGuinness. Working with the faculty, working with the students, working with the school community. And being a witness for the great things that Catholic education can do and given the opportunities for students to be successful and live in Christ, in terms of leadership positions – 12 years in the classroom and eight years doing what I’m doing, and coaching all the sports I’ve coached and student council – this opportunity feels like the cherry on the top, really, in terms of being able to influence and work at what my life’s vocation is.”
Q. How has the reception been since news broke?
A. “It’s been good. Twenty years at one place. Kids that you taught. Parents. People you coached with. It’s been really quite interesting.”
Q. So, how did you get here, in middle America as principal at a Catholic private school, from England?
A. “I was in banking and got disillusioned with it. And I’d wanted to be a religious education teacher originally, and that’s why I went into theology. And life and paths, and discerning what you want to do and what you didn’t want to do, I got to see what I didn’t want to do. I had an opportunity to go to (University of Oklahoma), where some supportive professors helped me get to where I am.
Started at Bishop McGuinness in 2004. Worked through all the social studies, Student Council, coached soccer, cross country, taught AP classes, world history. Worked on my PhD as well, graduating with that in in 2013. That’s when Mr. Morton started to move me into curriculum development and administration.”
Q. Some people get stuck in jobs they don’t like, what pushed you to make a bold move?
A. “It’s kind of interesting, when I told my mom that I was leaving the banking job, to her it was, ‘Why are you doing that? You’ve got a house, you’ve got everything you need.’ There is something else. I could have sat and been miserable. But I ended up at McGuinness and every single day is just a gift. And I’m looking to make the most of that.”
Q. Once you solidified your path, it worked out well?
A. “It worked out perfectly. I graduated from university (in England) when I was 20, then I had a few years in banking and realized it was not feeding any of my soul. It was definitely not God’s work. Then the path worked out to go to OU and then McGuinness. It just worked out wonderfully, from the very first day at McGuinness.”
Q. What was your first day at Bishop McGuinness like?
A. “I was 24. I had just finished college and probably barely looked much older than the students. I’m teaching all the government classes for seniors. And then I coached soccer. And this was prior to the new projectors and laptops and PowerPoints. It was acetate sheets on overhead projectors. Six times a day with students who had a guy from England. But it was fun. Those kids were fun. I remember that first year really, really well. It was such a wonderful year. It was a strange year, because they were about to tear the school down and make all the changes in that way, but I knew immediately it was the place I wanted to be. It was hard work, but it was such a wonderful year.”
Q. What are the things that strike you about Bishop McGuinness that make it a different and special place?
A. “I think you could ask the majority of teachers, it’s the community. And it’s the sense of working for a mission that’s bigger than self. It’s working for the kids. It’s working for the Church. It’s being a missionary disciple and being a witness for God.
“And we’ve got record enrollment, one of the strongest academic programs in the state, we make sure to have that Catholic identity and offer all those spiritual opportunities that students need, and certainly all the extracurricular and athletics. In terms of a full range of a school, it’s something we’ve been building for a long time and we want to keep building to the future.”
Q. What do you envision next for Bishop McGuinness, over the next 10, 20 years?
A. “One is maintaining a strong Catholic mission and strong Catholic education in the school. In the state, McGuinness has a large footprint and is known for academic excellence, it’s known as a great Catholic school, it’s known for its athletics and fine arts. I think it’s making sure we maintain that and grow what McGuinness can be, but in doing that it’s not about test scores or state championships. It’s about the students.
“It’s about making sure every student has the access to the most appropriate, rigorous education that they can have. It’s about expanding what we view as excellence in education. Excellence in education isn’t just, ‘What are your ACT scores or your PSAT scores?’ ‘Or how many National Merit Scholars that you’ve got.’ It’s about making sure you’re able to serve students who may not have the same learning ability of other students. It’s about making sure that students who come to us with different backgrounds have access to Catholic education. It’s about making sure that what you see as a witness to Christ is seen in the school hallways and the classrooms at all times. It’s about an education for every single student who wants a Catholic education and us being able to serve that.”
Q. Do you plan to continue coaching?
A. “That’s a calming thing, a relaxing thing and it helps you interact with the kids. I need to continue, because it grounds you and it gives you a frame of reference to what’s going on in the students’ lives because they tell you things and you see what they’re going through and it’s important they see people they can turn to.”
Q. How have you reconciled the football vs. soccer thing in the U.S.?
A. “You don’t take it too seriously. If one of the things that gets me upset in life is calling it soccer instead of football, I think I need to reconsider what’s important.”
Q. OK, what do you like to do away from school?
A. “I like traveling, traveling with my family. I especially like going to museums and art galleries and kind of city breaks with my wife. Even though I’m not running as fast or as far as I used to, I still like running. I follow football – soccer – a team Aston Villa (in the Premier League). My wife has introduced me to the Yankees, so we watch a lot of Yankees. And obviously going to OU, we go to football and all the OU sports. But really it’s sharing time doing things with my wife and my family and friends. And I like to cook. I like to barbecue.”
Q. If you’re having people over and really want to do it right, what’s on the grill?
A. “Ribs. Steak. Gratin potatoes. Jalapeno poppers. Those types of things.”
John Helsley is the editor of the Sooner Catholic.
Photo (above): Andrew Worthington, named new principal at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School for 2024-25, said he looks forward to carrying on the school’s legacy. Photo Aimee Martinez.
Getting to know … Andrew Worthington
Position: Administrator, coach and next principal at Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School.
Age: 45.
Family: Wife Jennifer, daughters Caroline and Grace, sons Luke and James.
Hometown: Birmingham, England.
Education: University of Birmingham, bachelor’s in theology; University of Oklahoma: master’s in curriculum and instruction, with a focus on social studies; PhD in instructional leadership and academic curriculum.
Parish: The Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Oklahoma City.
Notable: Led the Fighting Irish to a state soccer championship and has coached individual state champions in track and field.
Playlist: “I grew up in the 90s in the UK, so kind of Oasis, The Verve, Coldplay maybe. And then there’s a lot of indie British bands from that time. But yeah, British music of the 90s.”
Photo provided.
