Joe Guster enters his 12th year at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in 2025-26. He began his time at Kings Point in October of 2014 as the Director of Athletic Communications. In June of 2015, Guster was elevated to Assistant Athletic Director for Communications (Sports Information Director).
As director, Guster is responsible for maintaining the USMMA Athletics website, USMMASports.com; writing and distributing press releases; serving as official scorer for many of the Mariners’ home games; producing game programs and other publications; maintaining historical archives; and promoting all 19 of the Academy’s NCAA programs to both local and national media outlets.
Guster came to Kings Point with over nine years of experience working in the field of athletic communications/public relations. He most recently spent the previous five years as the Sports Information Director at SUNY Maritime College in Throggs Neck, N.Y.
At Maritime, Guster implemented many new ideas to the department that helped change the way the athletic programs were covered. He shared all of his press releases and important news about each program with the entire athletic department, the school’s administration, local and national media and alumni, family and fans and was behind a major push to turn to social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to help share the department’s many stories. He co-founded and oversaw the Privateer Radio Network, which produced live audio streams of football and basketball games, and later moved into video streaming nearly all home events for numerous sports via USTREAM. This helped the department gain a larger fan base and allowed alumni, family members and general fans around the world to connect more closely with Maritime Athletics.
Guster also helped to enhance the Maritime Athletic department’s image and message. He was responsible for maintaining the athletics website, which was the “front door” to Maritime Athletics, and to some, the College in general. He also communicated with the entire campus community, including the athletic department staff and the College’s faculty, staff, administration and general student body, in order to prepare for and publicize athletic events around campus, which led to increased attendance at games and special events.
Prior to his time at Maritime, Guster worked in the St. John’s Athletic Communications office for four years. The last two years of his tenure were spent as a graduate assistant and main sports information contact for the women’s volleyball team and the men’s and women’s tennis teams.
While with the volleyball team, he ran media relations for the first and second rounds of the 2007 NCAA Tournament, held at St. John’s, en route to the squad’s remarkable run to the regional semifinal round of 16. In addition, Guster served as the secondary sports information contact for the women’s basketball team and worked with all 17 varsity sports at the school on some level.
Guster was named the 2008-09 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Sports Information Director Northeast Region Honoree for the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Grant Burger Media Award. He also earned “First in the District” accolades for the 2008 St. John’s Volleyball Media Guide from the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Aside from working with the Red Storm, Guster served as a public relations intern for the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden in 2007. With the Rangers, he was responsible for preparing morning newspaper and internet clippings for members of the Rangers’ staff, Madison Square Garden executives and local media; assisting in proofreading game-by-game information, media notes and other team statistics; preparing game-night media kits including game notes, media releases, news clips, roster cards and special requests for all media, scouts and teams; press room/box preparation and assisting in various team-media conferences including press conferences.
As an undergrad at St. John’s, Guster worked as a student assistant in the Athletic Communications office. His duties included but were not limited to assisting national and local radio and TV reporters during varsity athletic events, compiling information for media guides, contributing to game-day media operations and serving as the webcaster for various sporting events for the St. John’s athletics website.
Guster is a double-graduate of St. John’s University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sport Management in 2007, and a Master's Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing Management in 2009.
A native of Ozone Park, Queens, N.Y., Guster currently resides in Stamford, Conn., with his wife Melissa, their two sons, Landon and Zachary, and daughter Madelyn.
