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Mike McGee (American football)

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Mike McGee
Date of birth (1938-12-01) December 1, 1938 (age 86)
Place of birthWashington, D.C.
Career information
Position(s)Offensive guard
US collegeDuke
NFL draft1960 / round: 2/ Pick 14
Career history
As player
1960–1962St. Louis Cardinals
Career highlights and awards
Awards1959 Outland Trophy
Career stats

Michael B. "Mike" McGee (born December 1, 1938) is a former American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He was an All-American at Duke University and won the Outland Trophy, given to the nation's best interior lineman in 1959. After retiring from the St. Louis Cardinals he became head coach at East Carolina University and Duke University. In 1970, he coached at East Carolina, where he compiled a 3–8 record. From 1971 to 1978, he coached at Duke, where he compiled a 37–47–4 record. His overall record as a head coach is 40–55–4. His best seasons came in 1971 and 1974, when he went 6–5. He also served as an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He later became athletic director at the University of Cincinnati (1980–1984), the University of Southern California (1984–1993), and the University of South Carolina (1993–2005). McGee was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as a player in 1990.

University of South Carolina

McGee's years at the University of South Carolina are arguable of his most satisfying. McGee left one "USC" with a storied history of athletic success. At the time, the University of Southern California "Trojans" and "The Women of Troy" (the name of the women's athletic teams) had won nearly 100 total team national championships, including: 26 in men's track & field, 12 in baseball, 9 in football, 6 in women's volleyball, four in men's volleyball, and 2 women's basketball. Its students had won four Heisman trophies, awarded to the best college football player annually (Mike Garrett in 1965, O.J. Simpson in 1968, Charles White in 1979 and Marcus Allen in 1981.), 89 of which are NCAA National Championships.

The University of South Carolina did not have the same history of success. Before McGee's arrival, the Gamecocks had to their credit no national championships. The best example of success was the men's soccer team finishing as the NCAA runner-up in 1993 and the baseball team also finishing as the runner-up in 1975 and 1977. The Gamecocks only featured one Heisman trophy winner in George Rogers during the 1980 football season.

McGee's goal was to build a foundation to foster athletic success for years to come. Upon his retirement, his accomplishments at University of South Carolina include:

  • After winning only 1 bowl game in the nearly 100 year history of the football team, the Gamecocks had won three straight bowl games, including back-to-back Outback Bowl Championships against Ohio State. Those two victories catapulted USC to consecutive Top 20 national finishes, a first in the history of the program. Included in that stretch (2000–01) were the most wins (17) in consecutive years in the history of the football program.
  • McGee's ability to attract and hire high-caliber coaches. Among his hires at University of South Carolina have included Curtis Frye (track and field), Lou Holtz (football), Ray Tanner (baseball), Dave Odom (men's basketball) and most recently, Steve Spurrier (football). Over McGee's final eight seasons, 13 Gamecock head coaches had earned either National Coach of the Year or Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year accolades.
  • Oversaw a dramatic increase in the athletics department's overall revenues, rising from approximately $18 million when he first came to University of 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.
  • The baseball team had made three straight appearances in the College World Series and is the winningest program in the country over McGee's final five seasons.
  • In 2000, for the first time in the history of the Southeastern Conference, USC 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).
  • Won eight SEC team championships, including baseball (3), women's outdoor track (2), men's basketball (1), softball (1), and women's golf (1).
  • McGee had oversaw more than $110 million in facility improvements at Carolina, including the 18,000-seat Colonial Center and major improvements and additions to Williams-Brice Stadium.

Head coaching record

Year Team Overall Conference Standing Bowl/playoffs
East Carolina Pirates (Southern Conference) (1970)
1970 East Carolina 3–8 2–2 4th
East Carolina: 3–8 2–2
Duke Blue Devils (Atlantic Coast Conference) (1971–1978)
1971 Duke 6–5 2–3 T–3rd
1972 Duke 5–6 3–3 4th
1973 Duke 2–8–1 1–4–1 5th
1974 Duke 6–5 2–4 5th
1975 Duke 4–5–2 3–0–2 2nd
1976 Duke 5–5–1 2–3–1 4th
1977 Duke 5–6 2–4 5th
1978 Duke 4–7 2–4 5th
Duke: 37–47–4 17–25–4
Total: 40–55–4

References

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