Innovative Solomon excited to join Winthrop Hall

By Karl Lyles - The Herald

Andy Solomon gave up a full-time job as sports information director at Charleston Southern University to come to Winthrop College in the summer of 1978. He came to Rock Hill to take a graduate assistant job as SID as the school was introducing men's sports to the athletics program.

That decision launched his career and gained him many lifelong friendships. He spent six years at Winthrop. He said they were some of the best times of his life.

Solomon, 53, will be inducted into the Winthrop Athletics Hall of Fame in a ceremony to be held Feb. 27 at the West Center on campus.

"Winthrop was a springboard for me. It gave me confidence in my abilities," Solomon said.

Solomon is now in his 18th year at The Citadel, where he serves as the associate athletics director for marketing and promotions.

His resume includes a long list of professional awards.

In 1979, he received the first Winthrop Presidential Citation ever awarded to a student. His first Winthrop men's basketball game program was recognized as the second best in the NAIA. While serving as SID at Winthrop, he was named the 1983 NAIA National SID of the Year.

At The Citadel he was selected as the 1999-2000 Marketer of the Year for NCAA Division I-AA and I-AAA institutions by the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators.

In addition to his service to Winthrop, he also coordinated the media relations efforts for the 16 NAIA member colleges in South Carolina and served as the state liaison to the national NAIA office. In 2004, Solomon was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame for meritorious service, becoming the third native Charlestonian to be enshrined in a national sports hall of fame, joining Art Shell (NFL) and Beth Daniel (LPGA).

Nield Gordon knew Solomon and the work he had done at Charleston Southern. As Winthrop's athletic director and men's basketball coach, Gordon hired him and Solomon excelled. The two remain good friends.

"When I took the job in 1977, there were two people I wanted to hire. I wanted a publicity guy and a trainer. I could have hired assistant coaches, but I just felt those positions were more important than having an assistant at that time," Gordon said.

Gordon was inducted into the Winthrop Hall of Fame in 2004. He's happy to have Solomon join him.

"He (Gordon) let me run the show. I wanted to do a good job for him," Solomon said.

Solomon made a splash right away with a story he wrote. He described how Winthrop athletics was dealing with Title IX, an NCAA guideline to ensure the sexes receive equal opportunities, equipment and amenities. Title IX usually pertains more to women's athletics. At Winthrop it was reversed. The story was picked up by the Associated Press.

His marketing and promotion ideas were creative and unusual.

He got 6-foot-11 Winthrop twins, Ronnie and Donnie Creamer, into the Guinness World Book of Records as the world's tallest living identical twins. He took players to local businesses to sign autographs.

Winthrop's basketball team had local talent with Great Falls' Charlie Brunson and Clover's Carl Feemster on the roster. Solomon took advantage of that and arranged to have home basketball games played at Great Falls and Clover high schools.

He promoted all Winthrop athletics, but became closest to Gordon and baseball coach Horace Turbeville. Gordon will be at the induction ceremony. Turbeville passed away in 2007. Solomon dearly wishes he could there, too.

"Everything we did, we did it from scratch," he said.

Under Solomon's leadership, the Eagle Club was created, cheerleaders began cheering, the dance team danced and the pep band played. Everything was new and it was fun.

"It was a time I loved to go to work. Everyone bought into it. It is truly a highlight of my career, something I cherish," he said. "This means more to me than the national hall of fame."

He has been active in the Charleston community, having concluded a two-year term as the second chairman of the Charleston Metro Sports Council. He also serves as vice president and a member of the Board of Directors of the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame. He will be the organization's president in 2010 during its 50th anniversary.