Long-time UMass Dartmouth Sports Information Director Bill Gathright was inducted posthumously into the Little East Conference Hall of Fame following his passing in 2004 at the age of 54. A renowned figure on the UMass Dartmouth campus and throughout the Little East Conference and the New England collegiate athletic community, Gathright worked in the Athletic Department at then Southeastern Massachusetts University and later UMass Dartmouth for 31 years.
One of his most enduring contributions to the Athletic Department was serving as founder of the Corsair Hall of Fame. Bill Gathright was part of a small group of athletics administrators who were instrumental in the creation and early growth of the Little East Conference in the mid-1980s. His professionalism and friendship were his hallmarks as was his willingness to promote both the Corsairs and the Little East Conference.
A 1973 graduate of Boston University, Gathright was an All-New England First Team All-Star in football as a senior after earning three varsity letters. Selected as team co-captain and Harry Agganis Most Valuable Player award winner during his senior season, Gathright was also an All-East Second Team selection as an offensive tackle.
Following his graduation from Boston University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Physical Education and Health Education, Gathright was hired at then-SMU as Intramural Director in the Fall of 1973. During his career at SMU, and later UMass Dartmouth, Gathright made several contributions to the development of Athletics on the Dartmouth campus. He was the department’s first Sports Information Director. He was a member of the Council of Sports Information Directors and a beloved and colorful personality within New England intercollegiate athletics.
In addition to his work at UMass Dartmouth, Gathright was also very active as a basketball and softball official. He was a long-time member of the Southeastern Massachusetts Board of Officials, serving as rules interpreter for women’s basketball. He worked as a woman’s basketball official in the Big East for several seasons.