Courtesy of Bowie State Athletic Media RelationsBOWIE, Md. – Bowie State Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations Gregory Goingsannounces plan to retire in May 2021 after nearly 30 years of service. Goings is currently the longest serving athletic media relations director in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA).
“When I was blessed to be selected as the next athletic director for Bowie State University in January of 2015, Greg Goings was one of the first individuals who welcomed me to Bulldog Nation, said Assistant Vice President of Athletics and Recreation Clyde Doughty Jr. “From that point, forward Greg has been a wealth of information and guidance as a senior member of the athletic administration.”
Doughty went on to say, “Greg is an experienced professional who is well respected within the world of media relations. He has been recognized for his efforts within the CIAA and outside of the CIAA with organizations such as CoSIDA. Greg has mentored a plethora of young men and women who have gone on to great careers in sports information.”
“Greg is a very straight forward individual who is well organized and highly efficient. He is very supportive of his co-workers and always makes himself available to assist in any way he can. He has left an indelible mark on Bulldog Nation Athletics. He will be missed but I know he will not be a stranger and will respond if we need him. I wish him the very best as he retires from a great career in intercollegiate athletics”, said Doughty.
Prior to joining the BSU family, he was a Sales Associate with Chevy Chase Bank (2001 – 2003). His athletic experience began in 1988 at Virginia State University as their Sports Information Director, a position he held until October 2000. The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and the CIAA Sports Information Directors Association selected him as Sports Information Director of the Year in 1993–1994, 1995-1996 and 2008-2009.
In the summer of 1995, he was selected as a Press Officer for the United States Olympic Festival in Denver, Colorado. Additionally, he also served as official scorer for Reviving Baseball in the Inner Cities (RBI) World Series in Cleveland, Denver and Orlando. Goings also finds time to officiate (Division I, Division II and JUCO) collegiate basketball and high school basketball, something he has done for over 30 years. In addition to his athletic experience, he was the host of the #1 rated (Arbitron) night time radio program (The Quiet Storm) on WCDX – Power 93 FM (1988 – 93) and served as an air personality for Virginia State University’s public broadcasting radio station – WVST and for WPLZ – Magic 99 FM (1984 – 1986).
Goings stumbled into the Sports Information/Media Relations profession and owes his start to the late LeCounte Conaway. “I really thought my career path would be managing restaurants”. In fact, Goings had accepted a management trainee position with Pizza Hut after graduating from Virginia State University with a degree in Food Marketing / Food Industry Management, but quickly changed his mind. “Something just didn’t feel right so I decided to stay in Petersburg as opposed to move to Northern Virginia. Shortly thereafter, Goings walked into Conaway’s office at Virginia State and asked if he could help. Without hesitation, Conway said, “I am looking for a (basketball) bookkeeper, so this is your lucky day”. I remember LeCounte saying, “You have nice penmanship and I have another way for you to help out as well”. Long before today’s computer stat programs, in-game statistics and cumulative individual/team stats were compiled by hand, so Goings’ great attention to detail and accuracy made him perfect for the job.
Goings briefly left the (Petersburg) area in May 1984 but returned 10 months later after accepting a Production Assistant and On-Air Personality with WPLZ Magic 99 radio. When not doing his radio job, Goings briefly volunteered in the Virginia State Sports Information Office under the late Wallace Dooley, before being elevated to Assistant Sports Information Director. Following Dooley’s departure, Goings was selected the new Sports Information Director in July 1988 and the rest is history.
After serving 12 years at his alma mater, Goings left the profession in October 2000 and moved back to his hometown of Washington, D.C. After a 10-month hiatus from work all together. Goings returned to the work force as an Assistant Manager for Arby’s Restaurant, finally utilizing the Food Marketing / Food Industry Management degree he earned. “I wasn’t really enjoying those 10-hour work days, so I decided to look for some normal Monday through Friday work hours and found it as a Sales Associate with Chevy Chase Bank.
While working at Chevy Chase Bank, the Sports Information position came open at Bowie State and he received a call asking if he was interested. “I thanked them (Bowie State) for reaching out but had no interest in getting back into college athletics”. However, after two more calls from Bowie State, they finally made an offer Goings could not refuse. “When my wife said you loved your job in Sports Information so go, be happy and do what you love … We’ll be ok”. So in September 2003, Goings was back in the saddle.
“It has been a wonderful ride and after 12 years at Virginia State and nearly 18 at Bowie State, the time has come to step aside and let someone else captain the ship, stated Goings. In addition to Conaway and Dooley, I had some phenomenal colleagues/mentors (John Holley – Norfolk State, Bill Hamilton – S.C. State, Sam Jefferson – Jackson State and Chris Fisher – N.C. Central) to name a few that guided me along the way.”
Goings holds memberships with the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), Black College Sports Information Directors Association (BCSIDA), former At-Large College Division Representative on the CoSIDA Board of Directors (2011-2014), Past National President of the Division II Sports Information Directors Association (2010-2014), Past President of the CIAA Sports Information Directors Association and former member of the Harlon Hill Division II Football Player-of-the-Year Advisory Committee.
