McVey named new AD at GCCC

Garden City, KS-Interim Athletic Director Colin Lamb has always pushed back.

When others ask why Garden City, Lamb contends-why not Garden City?

During his long interview process, surely Greg McVey was asked the same question. And during his introductory press conference on Monday, he reiterated again what Lamb has said for more than two decades.

“I wanted to be at the highest level that the NJCAA has to offer,” McVey said. “There was no doubt in my mind that Garden City was the place to be.”

McVey was formally introduced as the new athletic director at Garden City Community College, bringing with him a style and charisma that not only sold both Lamb and President, Dr. Ryan Ruda, but the search committee as well.

“We hit a home run,” Ruda declared in his opening remarks. “There were certain characteristics that we were looking for with this position. We have identified those values in our new athletic director.”

McVey is no stranger to intercollegiate athletics. He has spent the better part of his life in coaching and administration, beginning his career as a graduate assistant baseball coach at the University of Miami in 1992. From there, he was named Head Coach at Miami-University Middletown. He also had coaching stops at Miami-Ohio and Furman University before being named the head man at Kentucky Wesleyan in 2001.

“I’m a process guy,” McVey said. “When I do something, there are always steps involved. You start at one; then work your way to 12 or 13. That’s just how I work on things.”

His first taste as an administrator came in 2007, when he was named Associate Director of Athletics at Quincy University, where he spent 4 years. After that, came his big break, landing the Athletic Director position at Culver-Stockton College in Canton, MO.

“Every place that I have been, has presented different challenges,” McVey said. “I know there are challenges here. But that’s the exciting part about this job; to mend relationships; to do what needs to be done to make this the best two-year institution in the nation.”

After five years at Quincy, McVey was hired as the Athletic Director at Jefferson College in Hillsboro, MO., where he enjoyed unprecedented success. The Vikings won 67 percent of their games, nine Missouri Community College Athletic Conference Championships, four NJCAA Region 16 crowns and made three national tournament appearances. But all those accomplishments paled in comparison to what his students were doing in the classroom.

The Vikings produced 151 Academic All-conference selections and 108 Academic All-Region picks. McVey also curated a department that saw 36 student-athletes named Academic All-Americans.

“Winning national titles is a high priority to me,” McVey said. “But first things first, it’s all about getting these student-athletes to do well in the classroom and get them to where they want to go. That’s No. 1 on the list. I’d say winning titles is No. 3.”

McVey isn’t one to brag; and why would you have to. A quick glance of his accomplishments at Jefferson College, tell a lot about a man who is a tireless worker. He was the leading man on some major facility upgrades at Jefferson, including a new indoor, high definition video board, remodel of the athletic training room, baseball stadium backstop and complete renovation of the campus fitness center.

“We have great facilities at Garden City,” McVey said. “But they need to be improved. And that’s one of the challenges we face. But I’m looking forward to that.”

Following three years at Jefferson, McVey was hired as the AD and Director of Recreation at the College of Dupage in 2018, a job where he supervised a department of more than 120 people.

“Garden City is like a big family,” McVey said. “This isn’t just a job to a lot of folks; it’s a lifestyle. Being a Broncbuster is important to people. That really drew me in.”