Terrapin Club Spotlight: Andy & Jackie Fox

Andy and Jackie Fox have been members of the Terrapin Club for nearly 40 years. As graduates of the University of Maryland in the early 1980s, their allegiance to the university has been expressed through an unselfish desire to give back.

The couple has developed an affinity for the gymnastics team at Maryland over the years. They have been supporting the program for many years because of their relationship with head coach Brett Nelligan and their son’s involvement in the sport. 

Through the Fox Family Scholarship Endowment, Andy and Jackie are supplying the Maryland gymnastics program with the necessary financial assistance to ensure student-athletes are equipped to perform at a high level in the classroom and in competition. 

“We've been fortunate in our lives and it's just a way for us to give back to the university,” Andy said. “I've always been a big believer in trying to help. I'm also a big believer in education. If we can help give somebody the opportunity to get an education that they may or may not be able to do on their own or with their family, it’s a way for us to pay it back.”

Both are huge basketball and football fans but acknowledge that those sports have an abundance of sponsors and scholarships. They decided on an endowment for gymnastics, and it has brought them closer to the program than they ever were.

Josh Fox, Andy and Jackie’s son, was a teammate of Nelligan in high school for a club team. The family has known him since he was a teenager. But their connection with the staff doesn't end there. Assistant coach JJ Ferreira was a teammate of Josh at Springfield College. Ferreira also coached Andy’s and Jackie’s daughter-in-law.

“Andy and Jackie are two of the most dearest friends to our program, and to our family at Maryland gymnastics,” Nelligan said. “Their financial contributions have been incredible, but I'll go a step further than that. They come to almost all our meets and often come to our practices. They’re so supportive of our team and our staff. They text us on meet day, they text us after big wins. They've traveled down to NCAA Regionals to support us, they've come to our selection day show parties.”

The family’s relationship with the staff and their understanding that their support is being utilized correctly makes them willing to continue their assisting efforts. 

“They are truly what I consider a student-athlete,” Andy said. “Somebody who has an opportunity to compete in a sport that they love, while getting an education and knowing that education is probably what's going to help him in the future.” 

The gymnastics team had the second-highest cumulative GPA of any program on Maryland's campus concluding the fall semester. They posted a 3.571 GPA and had the second most student-athletes record a perfect 4.0 with six. Furthermore, 16 student-athletes made the Dean’s List.

Emma Silberman was the recipient of the Fox Family Scholarship Endowment for four out of the five years it's been in place. She’s pursuing a master’s in education and hopes to make a difference in kid's lives. Silberman has been recognized for her academic excellence year after year.

“I'm so grateful. There aren't enough words that I could say to thank them,” Silberman said. “Being able to see them at our home meets and just when they text me when we're away, it's so meaningful to know that they really are there to support me in and outside of the gym.”

The graduate student was Academic All-Big Ten from 2021-23. In 2023 she doubled up with ICA Academic Achievement Award honors. Most recently, she was one of 11 Terps to receive the 1A FAR Academic Excellence Award. The Award is given annually to student-athletes who graduate with a cumulative GPA of 3.80 or above and have participated in at least two years of NCAA intercollegiate athletics at a Football Bowl Subdivision institution.

The Fox family’s support for Maryland gymnastics extends to the NIL space. A former teammate of Josh and Nelligan owns a gym in Columbia, Md. The Fox family helped facilitate an opportunity for the student-athletes to coach youth competitors and make some money.

Silberman was the coordinator of four clinics held at the gym and brought two other gymnasts to each of them. There was a clinic held for each apparatus - floor exercise, vault, balance beam and uneven bars. The girls who attended the clinics were invited to the Maryland Quad on senior night, March 1. Roughly 120 girls watched that night as the Terps placed first at the meet.

“[Andy’s] building things for the long term,” Nelligan said. “I feel like the relationship he has established with Columbia Gymnastics and Dave Curry (owner of Colombia Gymnastics) is something that can be a long-term deal that we can use every year for our student-athletes. This is something that hopefully we can continue to grow and utilize year after year to benefit our program.”

Andy will continue to impact the Maryland gymnastics program through his scholarship and the support of his family. That support extends to all sports. Even his daughter is a member of the Terrapin Club. Being a part of the Terp family is all the reasoning the Fox family needs.

“The gymnastics family has really welcomed us with open arms,” Andy said. “I can't tell you the number of parents that come up and give us a handshake or give us a hug before a meet. It’s just a welcoming feeling, and it’s nice to be a part of.”