Former University of South Carolina Athletics Director Dr. Mike McGee died at his home in Montrose, Colorado, the school announced Friday. McGee arrived at South Carolina in 1993 and held the athletics director position for 12 years.

“I owe so much to Dr. McGee for trusting me to lead his baseball program when he hired me in the summer of 1996,” Gamecock Athletics Director Ray Tanner said via the Gamecocks official website. “I learned so much from him about athletics, administration and life, in general. He’s not only a legendary coach and administrator but a Hall of Fame person as well.”

Highlights of McGee’s tenure include the program’s three straight bowl game wins, including back-to-back Outback Bowl Championships against Ohio State during the Lou Holtz era. Those two victories helped the Gamecocks to consecutive Top 20 national finishes, a first in the history of the program. In addition to Holtz, McGee also hired Curtis Frye (track and field), Ray Tanner (baseball), Dave Odom (men’s basketball) and Steve Spurrier (football).

South Carolina athletics department revenues almost tripled during his tenure as athletics director, increasing from approximately $18 million when McGee arrived in Columbia, to $52.8 million for the 2004 fiscal year.

McGee was 80 years old.