Greg McCollam (’80)

Proud to say I am a UC Graduate.

My name is Greg McCollam and I graduated from UC in 1980.

In 1976, I was awarded a scholarship as an incoming freshman by Athletic Director Rich Meckfessel to work as the school’s Sports Information Director during my undergraduate years.

It was a lot of hard work but also great fun to work so closely with some terrific coaches and become friends with many outstanding athletes and wonderful people.

I also joined the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and served as chapter president during my senior year. I followed in the footsteps of frat brothers like Steve Kawash, Phil Morabito, and the Robertsons, while trying to be an example to younger brothers like Dave Blashford, Rob Pumo, and Sam Femia.

Upon graduation as an English major with a Mass Communications minor, I was hired by the Indiana Pacers of the NBA, and two years later joined the Cincinnati Reds. After four years there I left the Reds to go into promotional sales to sports teams all across the country.

During those years, I completed a three-year program for bi-vocational ministry through the American Baptist Churches of Ohio and eventually received my ordination while serving as pastor of Walnut Hills Baptist Church for over thirteen years.

I am retired now but keep busy by writing (I currently have four books available on Amazon, including my newest one which is a children’s Christmas story entitled, “Sedgwick, Santa’s Secret Mouse/Why Santa Doesn’t Need a Chimney” check them out on Amazon.

I also produce a weekly podcast (“Where’s God? Finding Him in the Small Stuff”) and I post regularly on a blog as well (straightouttathebook.blogspot.com).

UC has also been a family legacy for us. My father attended the school when it was still Morris Harvey College and spent his career working for Union Carbide. My aunt Georgianna McCollam (’64), dad’s sister, also graduated from Morris Harvey and taught for several years in the Kanawha Valley before moving to Finland. It was special for me to begin as a freshman when the school was Morris Harvey College and graduate from the University of Charleston without ever changing schools. My wife, Jan, and I have been married for 43 years, and we are blessed with three children — Erin, Kelly, and Jordan — and two grandchildren, Reese and Brayden.

My son Jordan is also a proud UC graduate, class of 2012. He was recruited to play for the UC men’s soccer team the year after the program went 0–17. Four other Cincinnati kids came over to play soccer with Jordan, Craig Cantor (’12) and Kyle McCarty (’12) came the same year, and Garrett Listo (’13) and Sean Teepen (’15) joined them the following year. By Jordan’s sophomore year, they were 19-4 (counting post-season games) and have been winning conference championships almost non-stop since then!

Today, Jordan is a full-time soccer coach. He coaches with Cincinnati United Soccer Club, serves as the head JV soccer coach at Turpin High School (his alma mater), and runs his own private soccer coaching business as well.