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Former AD Mike McGee has passed away
Posted on 8/16/19 at 4:20 pm
Posted on 8/16/19 at 4:20 pm
quote:
Dr. Mike McGee, the former Athletics Director for the University of South Carolina has passed away, officials say.
Dr. McGee led the Gamecock athletics program for 12 years, and died peacefully at his home in Montrose, Colorado, officials say.
Link to article
3
Posted on 8/16/19 at 4:25 pm to Carolina_Girl
quote:
The Gamecocks emerged as a highly competitive athletics program, across the board, with consistent top 20 national rankings for a majority of its 20 varsity teams. A record 17 teams competed in post-season competition in 2001-02, with 16 teams qualifying in 2002-03 and 15 teams advancing in 2003-04. South Carolina posted its best-ever finish in the Learfield IMG College Director's Cup in 2002 with an 11th place finish and followed it up with an 18th-place finish in 2003.
The football team won three straight bowl games, including back-to-back Outback Bowl Championships against Ohio State. Those two victories catapulted the Gamecocks to consecutive Top 20 national finishes, a first in the history of the program.
McGee hired high-caliber coaches at South Carolina during his tenure. Among his hires at South Carolina included Curtis Frye track and field), Lou Holtz (football), Ray Tanner (baseball), Dave Odom (men's basketball) and Steve Spurrier (football). In McGee's final eight years at South Carolina, 13 Gamecock head coaches earned either national or SEC Coach of the Year awards.
Athletics department revenues almost tripled during his tenure as athletics director, rising from approximately $18 million when he first came to South Carolina, to $52.8 million for fiscal year 2004.
The women's track team won the school's first-ever national team championship, claiming the 2002 NCAA Outdoor title.In 2000, for the first time in the history of the Southeastern Conference, South Carolina had three of its athletes named National Athlete of the Year in their respective sports: Kip Bouknight (baseball); Terrence Trammell (men's indoor and outdoor track); and Miki Barber (women's outdoor track).
South Carolina won nine SEC team championships, including baseball (3), women's outdoor track (3), men's basketball (1), softball (1), and women's golf (1).
McGee oversaw more than $110 million in facility improvements at Carolina, including the 18,000-seat Colonial Center (now Colonial Life Arena) and major improvements and additions to Williams-Brice Stadium.McGee was a leader in addressing gender equity progress, as Carolina added two women's sports (soccer, equestrian), upgraded Olympic sports facilities and provided for major increases in budget and additional staff under his direction.
LINK
I'm just about 30 years old so McGee was the first AD for me and was there as I was being reared into a lifelong Gamecock fan and really started understanding what was going on. So, I guess I knew that all of these accomplishments were there but I never realized until now just how much we accomplished in his tenure.
This post was edited on 8/16/19 at 4:31 pm
Posted on 8/16/19 at 4:29 pm to theGarnetWay
Much better article. The one I posted was pretty paltry regarding details.
Posted on 8/16/19 at 4:46 pm to Carolina_Girl
RIPIP
Posted on 8/16/19 at 4:54 pm to Carolina_Girl
he was a good man and brought much needed experience & stability when we needed it most. Dr McGee also agreed USC was in South Carolina and Southern Cal was a school out West. 
*lifted from Live5News*
Former University of South Carolina Athletics Director Dr. Mike McGee, who led the Gamecock athletics program for 12 years, died Friday peacefully at his home in Montrose, CO.
"I owe so much to Dr. McGee for trusting me to lead his baseball program when he hired me in the summer of 1996," said current Gamecock Athletics Director Ray Tanner. "I learned so much from him about athletics, administration and life, in general. He's not only a legendary coach and administrator but a Hall of Fame person as well."
McGee, 80, came to South Carolina in 1993 from the University of Southern California, where he had served as athletics director 10 years. Prior to his tenure at Southern Cal, McGee was the athletics director at Cincinnati (1980-84) , the head football coach at Duke for eight seasons (1971-78), the head football coach at East Carolina for one season (1970) and served as an assistant coach at Minnesota, Wisconsin and Duke.
McGee was the recipient of the prestigious Homer Rice Award in 2016 from the LEAD1 Association, given each year to a former athletics director who had made a significant and meaningful contribution to intercollegiate athletics.
In 2002, McGee was presented the Order of the Palmetto by then-South Carolina Governor Jim Hodges, recognizing him for his outstanding contributions to the promotion of and achievement in sports in South Carolina.
McGee, a 1960 Duke graduate, was an outstanding football player for the Blue Devils, earning All-America honors and was named the 1959 Atlantic Coast Conference Football Player and ACC Athlete of the Year. He was also the recipient of the 1959 Outland Award, going to the nation's top lineman. He was inducted into the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 1990.
In 1985, he founded and directed for 17 years, the prestigious Sports Management Institute, the leading in-service training academy for professional staff in intercollegiate athletics.
McGee is survived by his wife of 56 years, Ginger, and together they had four children - Kathy, Michael, Jr., Matthew and Jerry - as well as 19 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Services and burial for Dr. McGee will be held at Sonrise Mountain Ranch in Cimarron, CO and his hometown of Elizabeth City, NC.
*lifted from Live5News*
Former University of South Carolina Athletics Director Dr. Mike McGee, who led the Gamecock athletics program for 12 years, died Friday peacefully at his home in Montrose, CO.
"I owe so much to Dr. McGee for trusting me to lead his baseball program when he hired me in the summer of 1996," said current Gamecock Athletics Director Ray Tanner. "I learned so much from him about athletics, administration and life, in general. He's not only a legendary coach and administrator but a Hall of Fame person as well."
McGee, 80, came to South Carolina in 1993 from the University of Southern California, where he had served as athletics director 10 years. Prior to his tenure at Southern Cal, McGee was the athletics director at Cincinnati (1980-84) , the head football coach at Duke for eight seasons (1971-78), the head football coach at East Carolina for one season (1970) and served as an assistant coach at Minnesota, Wisconsin and Duke.
McGee was the recipient of the prestigious Homer Rice Award in 2016 from the LEAD1 Association, given each year to a former athletics director who had made a significant and meaningful contribution to intercollegiate athletics.
In 2002, McGee was presented the Order of the Palmetto by then-South Carolina Governor Jim Hodges, recognizing him for his outstanding contributions to the promotion of and achievement in sports in South Carolina.
McGee, a 1960 Duke graduate, was an outstanding football player for the Blue Devils, earning All-America honors and was named the 1959 Atlantic Coast Conference Football Player and ACC Athlete of the Year. He was also the recipient of the 1959 Outland Award, going to the nation's top lineman. He was inducted into the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame in 1990.
In 1985, he founded and directed for 17 years, the prestigious Sports Management Institute, the leading in-service training academy for professional staff in intercollegiate athletics.
McGee is survived by his wife of 56 years, Ginger, and together they had four children - Kathy, Michael, Jr., Matthew and Jerry - as well as 19 grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Services and burial for Dr. McGee will be held at Sonrise Mountain Ranch in Cimarron, CO and his hometown of Elizabeth City, NC.
This post was edited on 8/16/19 at 4:55 pm
Posted on 8/16/19 at 5:05 pm to Carolina_Girl
Yeah, I've been on the phone the last hour with friends talking about this.
Mike was a good guy. He saved us when we needed him the most. Last time I saw him was at Miss Em's funeral and he was his old self, although aged quite a bit.
I've got his Outland Trophy Duke playing card, he signed for me, framed and hanging on the wall in office.
Have always been proud to call him friend and we used to talk often, although since he retired less so, usually around the holidays.
He was a remarkable man in real life and he did so much more for this university than most fans know.
I loved the man. So very glad that we were friends. Sat with him several times at various dinners and he was always very engaging with everyone. He was a no nonsense guy at work, but away from the roundhouse he was personable and funny and loyal.
The wife just got home and first thing she asked me was if we needed to attend the funeral.
It's a sad day.
ETA: We've decided to attend the memorial and funeral.
About his place in Montrose, Colorado. He had a sweet log cabin there, beautiful place with a beautiful view. He loved that place. Unusual thing about it was he was good friends with a mutual friend of mine, here, who built long cabins for a living and the cabin (massive place) was designed here and much of it was cut here and built by people from here. That's the way he wanted it. Nicest log home you could imagine and it was his pride and joy.
Mike was a good guy. He saved us when we needed him the most. Last time I saw him was at Miss Em's funeral and he was his old self, although aged quite a bit.
I've got his Outland Trophy Duke playing card, he signed for me, framed and hanging on the wall in office.
Have always been proud to call him friend and we used to talk often, although since he retired less so, usually around the holidays.
He was a remarkable man in real life and he did so much more for this university than most fans know.
I loved the man. So very glad that we were friends. Sat with him several times at various dinners and he was always very engaging with everyone. He was a no nonsense guy at work, but away from the roundhouse he was personable and funny and loyal.
The wife just got home and first thing she asked me was if we needed to attend the funeral.
It's a sad day.
ETA: We've decided to attend the memorial and funeral.
About his place in Montrose, Colorado. He had a sweet log cabin there, beautiful place with a beautiful view. He loved that place. Unusual thing about it was he was good friends with a mutual friend of mine, here, who built long cabins for a living and the cabin (massive place) was designed here and much of it was cut here and built by people from here. That's the way he wanted it. Nicest log home you could imagine and it was his pride and joy.
This post was edited on 8/16/19 at 9:28 pm
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