Bowling Green State University Athletics
Former BGSU AD Jack Gregory to be Inducted into Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame
April 07, 2020 | General, Falcon Club, Hall of Fame
Former Bowling Green State University Director of Athletics Jack Gregory has been selected for induction into the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame.
Gregory is part of the Class of 2020, a list of 10 prominent men and women whose outstanding accomplishments in the world of athletics have brought distinction to the state of Delaware over the last eight decades,
The 10 standouts, seven of whom made major contributions as coaches at the high school and college levels, will be honored at the state's premier sports banquet on Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington. The traditional spring date for the event was moved to the fall due to the existing COVID-19 pandemic.
At BGSU, Gregory completed 12 years of service to the University and athletic department as athletic director, quite possibly the most successful era in school athletic history. During his tenure BGSU teams won league regular season or tournament titles 24 times in nine different sports. In addition, BG teams earned spots in postseason play 28 times, including the NCAA championship won by the hockey team in 1983-84.
The Landsdowne, Pa., native also had a hand in improving the athletic facilities at BGSU as well as the academic areas for the student athletes. He was also the first athletic director in the MAC to appoint an academic coordinator. That decision paid off, with BG athletes earning national academic honors 22 times in the next seven years.
In Delaware, Gregory coached P.S. duPont's football team for five years before a distinguished career as a college coach and administrator.
The first administrator and organizer of Delaware's enormously successful Blue-Gold All-Star High School Football Game, he helped start the annual event that raises awareness of Delaware citizens with intellectual disabilities. He supervised many facets of the event each year and also coached in the game. In 2015 his involvement resulted in the DFRC establishing the Coach Jack and Pat Gregory Outstanding Leadership Award.
In 1960 he established the Diamond State Athletic Camp held at the Sanford School and led the organization for 11 years. Considered to be the first of its kind overnight athletic camp, the DSAC offered week-long programs in football, basketball, baseball, and wrestling and attracted leading coaches and players from the college and professional ranks.
After coaching P.S. to a 25-16 record in 1954-1958, with three successive upsets of Salesianum, he moved to his alma mater, coaching East Stroudsburg University to 49-11-2 over seven years, with two league championships, named national NCAA College Division Coach of the Year in 1965.
After serving as an assistant for one season at Navy, he became head coach at Villanova for three seasons, and at Rhode Island for six years. His career head coaching record stood at 132-69-2. After two years in the Green Bay Packers scouting department, he became assistant athletic director at Yale (1978-82), then athletic director at Bowling Green (1982-1994).
He was inducted into the East Stroudsburg University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1983 and into the BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1994. Also in 1994, a wing of the Bowling Green Athletic Field House was named the "Jack Gregory Turf Room" in his honor and in 2014 East Stroudsburg named its football field Gregory-Douds Field.
Gregory passed away in 2014.
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Tickets to the 45th annual banquet are $65 each with tables of 10 available for $600. Social hour and silent auction will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by the dinner and ceremony at 6:45.
Tickets to the event are on sale now and can be purchased online at the DSMHOF website at www.desports.org/events. The deadline for reserving tickets is Wednesday, Oct. 7.
Advertising opportunities for the souvenir program are also available. Contact DSMHOF Executive Director Scott Selheimer for details. Â
This versatile group of inductees represent the sports of football, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's track & field, distance running, baseball, and softball, as well as the fields of sports writing and officiating while representing all three counties in Delaware.
The DSMHOF Class of 2020 includes:
Mel Gardner - A member of both the National High School Baseball Hall of Fame and Delaware Baseball Hall of Fame, he enjoyed outstanding success as head baseball coach at William Penn High School for 30 years and coached several major leaguers.
Jack Gregory – The first organizer and administrator of the Delaware Blue-Gold High School Football All-Star Game, he was a standout coach at the P.S. DuPont HS before moving to the college head coaching ranks at East Stroudsburg, Villanova, and Rhode Island and as athletic director at Bowling Green. He passed away in 2014.
Jerry Kobasa – Enjoyed outstanding success as an athlete, coach, and administrator at the high school and college levels in Delaware in the sports of football, basketball, and baseball over a half-century. He is a member of four other athletic halls of fame within the state.
George Kosanovich – Over a span of 42 years as a high school football coach, won 264 games at Wilmington, McKean, and Concord to rank third all-time in state history. His teams won three state titles, made 11 tournament appearances, and several of his players went on to NFL careers.
Tom Lemon – A member of the St. Mark's High School and Delaware Baseball halls of fame, he served as baseball coach at St. Mark's for 16 years and led the Spartans to four state titles and eight championship game appearances.
Art Madric – His name is synonymous with success in track & field. He helped found the successful Wilmington Track Club, led Howard and Glasgow boys' and girl's high school teams to 11 state titles, and was named state Coach of the Year eight times.
Charles Rayne – One of the top high school basketball players in state history, he led Indian River HS to two state titles, earned All-State honors three times, and was a four-year standout in college at Temple University, eventually being drafted by the NBA Phoenix Suns.
Lou Romanoli – Made his mark as a standout baseball player at UD and the Wilmington Semi-Pro League, in football with the Wilmington Football League, as general manager of the Wilmington Blue Bombers in basketball, and as a marathon runner. Also contributed as a high school basketball official and officer with the DSMHOF.
Gary Smith – One of the nation's most prominent sportswriters, the Dickinson HS graduate has won four National Magazine Awards, the highest honor bestowed on magazine writers, the magazine equivalent of the Pulitzer Price. He joined Sports Illustrated in 1982.
Tyresa Smith – A two-time All-State pick at Polytech High School, she went on to a Hall of Fame career at the University of Delaware where she earned all-conference honors, set numerous school records and led the team to the NCAA Tournament. She played in the WNBA and overseas.
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