• 2015 CoSIDA Special Awards general announcement/release
• Special Awards feature story schedule
By Tom Galbraith, Radford University Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications
For those who know Mike Gore, or for that matter UNC Asheville athletics, as they are nearly synonymous, it comes as no surprise that he is being honored wit
h 25 years of service to CoSIDA in his 29th year. And that is why it is also fitting that he is also being honored with a 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award as well.
Never one to want the spotlight on him, Gore’s words were quite simple when I told him we needed to get together at some point to discuss this feature.
“You throw something together,” Gore said. “I’m sure it will be better than anything I could write.”
And for the first time knowing him in my career, Mike Gore was wrong.
Gore is as unassuming as his approach to the profession. The consummate professional and always more
concerned about accommodating the visitors and media before taking care of his own needs, only losses by his hometown Buffalo Bills or Sabres seem to faze this old-school, face-to-face instead of an email or text, feature story over 140-character summary throwback to when sports information directors wore every hat at the arena prior to turning out the lights on the way home.
The odds are quite high there isn’t one UNC Asheville Bulldog in the last 30 years who doesn’t think the world of Gore’s commitment and dedication to the program and will miss that dedication after his retirement this spring.
“I have been incredibly fortunate to spend most of my professional career at a wonderful school like UNC Asheville, a school that does athletics the way it should be across the board,” Gore said. ”I have worked with great coaches, great administrators and amazing student-athletes for 29 years.”
Relocating with his family from Buffalo to the Carolinas in the late 70s, Gore graduated from Appalachian State in 1984, and on July 1, 1986 began his stellar sports information career at Asheville. He rose from sports information and promotions director to associate director of athletics for external affairs in the years to follow adding interim softball coach to his duties for one award-winning season in 1992, which was the program’s final season. He led the Bulldogs to a 17-21 record and was named Co-Big South Conference Coach of the Year.
For six months in the 2003-04 season, Gore was named as Asheville’s interim director of athletics. His steadfast commitment is also apparent at the conference level having been a part of the Big South nearly since its inception. He also serves as the league’s Hall of Fame committee chair.
In 2005, the athletics department created the Mike Gore Bulldog Service Award, named after its first recipient, deservedly so.
He is the voice of the Bulldogs having done the play-by-play for the better part of his career for the UNC Asheville men’s basketball games and never missed a home hoops contest in his career. Many of those games were spent with his best sidekick, wife Lisa feeding him stats and tracking the game as well.
Gore intends, in retirement, to spend more time with Lisa and do it at a much slower pace. He does intend to continue that home basketball attendance streak, however from a different seat.
Gore summarized his time at a place he truly loves.
“There are so many people to thank for my career at UNC Asheville,” Gore said. “The school has allowed me to grow and learn and taught me so much about life. I have made lifelong friends and been to places that I could only dream about when I was in college. I want to thank all the coaches and administrators that I have been so lucky to work with, especially our current Athletics Director Janet Cone, who has been tremendous to me and Lisa during her time here.”
On behalf of all of CoSIDA and in the Big South Conference, Mike, it is those of us who have had the opportunity to work with you who should be thankful.
Congratulations on both awards. They are truly well deserved.