MORROW — When Mike Mead first stepped onto the Clayton State campus in November of 1990, he didn’t expect to be there for more than a few years.
But his time at Clayton State was not destined to be a sprint but a long-distance run as the longtime cross country coach and current interim athletic director served more than 32 years at the school.
And now, that run is nearing the finish line as he recently announced his retirement with his last day planned to be June 30.
In 1990, Mead came to Clayton State as assistant director of public information and sports information director. The school had just started its athletic program with the men’s basketball season tipping off that fall.
There was a “newness and upbeat feel to the campus because of adding athletics,” Mead said.
He added that it wasn’t just about the sports but the college was also completing Spivey Hall and the Continuing Education building that same time as well.
“There were a lot of new things happening here,” he said. “If you told me 32-plus years later that I’d still be here, I probably would have doubted you because at that time I hadn’t been anywhere in my career working more than three-and-a-half years.”
Starting out at Clayton State on the public relations side because of his past experience in newspapers (including the AJC) and as sports information director at Georgia Southwestern in Americus, Mead transitioned to being a coach.
“When I moved over here I had to start cross country from scratch,” Mead said. “I didn’t have any prior coaching experience. I may have worked occasionally mentoring younger runners, but the experience I brought in as a coach was strictly my competitiveness running at the Division II level when I was at (The University of) West Georgia. It was kind of exciting times with the possibilities of everything — trying…
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