NASHVILLE, TN - Longtime HBCU sports information and media relations administrator Wallace Dooley passed away on Tuesday, July 21.
In a 28-year span, Dooley held positions in sports information/media relations at several schools and two conference offices. He worked as SID at the University of the District of Columbia from 1981-1984, during which time the Firebirds men's basketball team made two consecutive NCAA Division II Finals appearances and won the city's first NCAA Championship in 1982. He also helped promote All-American Earl Jones for Division II Player of the Year.
In 2012, the former Tennessee State University associate athletic director for media relations was honored with the CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) Lifetime Achievement Award. After retiring from TSU, Dooley maintained connection to the field working as the media contact (radio/internet) in support of HBCU student-athletes and programs through BoxtoRow and HSRN Radio.
His interest in sports information began as an undergraduate student at TSU. He assisted the intramural director with compiling statistics for football and basketball games. In 1978, after working as a part-time sportswriter at The Tennessean and as an assistant in the sports information office at then-Memphis State, he was named the first full-time sports information director at Alabama A&M.
His interest in sports information began as an undergraduate student at TSU. He assisted the intramural director with compiling statistics for football and basketball games. In 1978, after working as a part-time sportswriter at The Tennessean and as an assistant in the sports information office at then-Memphis State, he was named the first full-time sports information director at Alabama A&M.
Dooley won 11 CoSIDA publications awards during his career in addition to earning the CoSIDA 25-Year Award. He counted the Lifetime Achievement Award and its recognition as one of his most cherished of his career.
His many years in the profession also included tenures as SID at Virginia State (1984-88) and North Carolina Central (1988-92). He served the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1992-96) as public relations director and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (2001-2006) as assistant commissioner for media relations before returning to Nashville.
His many years in the profession also included tenures as SID at Virginia State (1984-88) and North Carolina Central (1988-92). He served the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (1992-96) as public relations director and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (2001-2006) as assistant commissioner for media relations before returning to Nashville.
Dooley also supported athletics off campus. In 1996, he worked with the Atlanta Olympics as a venue press chief. He also worked in the sports information office for the Nashville Kats of the Arena Football League and assisted with gameday operations for the Tennessee Titans.
In 1982, Dooley joined several other SIDs from HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities) to partner with the National Association for Women's Sports (NAWS) in recognizing female student-athletes as All-Americans.
In 1984 at the CoSIDA workshop in St. Louis, he teamed with 11 other SIDs to form the Black College Sports Information Directors Association (BCSIDA).
Dooley worked with and trained a number of former assistants who earned their niche in the profession, including: Monique Morgan Smith (former Associate Commissioner, CIAA), Tonya Walker (Athletic Director, Winston-Salem State), Greg Goings (Bowie State SID and President of CoSIDA's Division II-SIDA group), William Bright (HBCU administrator), Zena Lewis (Washington Redskins PR) and Zekeya Harrison (Assistant Athletic Director Media Relations, Tennessee State).
Dooley worked with and trained a number of former assistants who earned their niche in the profession, including: Monique Morgan Smith (former Associate Commissioner, CIAA), Tonya Walker (Athletic Director, Winston-Salem State), Greg Goings (Bowie State SID and President of CoSIDA's Division II-SIDA group), William Bright (HBCU administrator), Zena Lewis (Washington Redskins PR) and Zekeya Harrison (Assistant Athletic Director Media Relations, Tennessee State).
Funeral arrangements have not yet been finalized.
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