Professional Experience

Professional Experience

In 2019, after working in the professional sport industry for more than 30 years, Greg Bouris joined 海角社区 as a full-time lecturer and the undergraduate sport management program director.  A pioneering sport management student and 1983 graduate of UMass/Amherst, Prof. Bouris has C-Suite level experience in all aspects of internal and external communications activities, marketing, brand development and reputation management for renown sport organizations, hall of fame athletes, regional sports networks, consumer companies and non-profits.

After graduating college, Greg spent a year working with the National Hockey League's public relations and marketing department, while also working game nights for the NBA's New York Knickerbockers.  The following year, Greg joined the publicity department of the four-time Stanley Cup-winning New York Islanders, rising to the role of publicity director in only his third year with the organization. He worked with the team for nearly 10 years, before he was hand-picked by his former Islanders boss, Hall of Famer Bill Torrey, to help him start the NHL's expansion Florida Panthers.  After three-plus years helping to introduce professional ice hockey to south Florida, Greg ventured back to the New York metropolitan area, where he worked with SportsChannel New York, 1800Flowers.com and, for nearly 19 years, the Major League Baseball Players Association.

Some of Greg's career highlights include:

Experience working at the collegiate, professional league, professional team and players' union levels.

At 26, was the youngest PR director in pro sports, when tabbed to lead the New York Islanders publicity department, working under the guidance and with the support of seven future Hall of Fame players and administrators.

While with the NY Islanders, he oversaw the creation of one of the NHL's first customized and computerized coaching statistical analysis programs and launched the first desk-top publishing system in all of pro sports. 

While with the Florida Panthers, he was part of the original management team that successfully introduced the NHL to south Florida. He was involved in the design and creation of the team's original logos, wordmarks and color scheme and was involved in the launch of just the second website in pro team sports. Under his guidance, he helped the team become one of the most publicized NHL teams during his tenure.  Among his many efforts was the "buzz" created around the legendary "Year of the Rat" campaign during the Florida Panthers' historic run to the 1996 Stanley Cup final, as well as the creation of Florida Panthers University, a fan and media hockey orientation program.

Tabbed by the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) to create the first full-fledged communications department in its storied existence.  While at the MLBPA...

Served as chief spokesperson and media liaison for all matters regarding labor relations, business affairs, group licensing and the Players Trust non-proft;

Crafted strategic and crisis communications plans and briefs, as well as developing key talking/message points to support overall communications goals of the Association

Directed a four-person communications team that oversaw all content creation and distribution on three external, public websites and a Players-only app, multiple social media accounts across several platforms, and monthly and quarterly e-newsletters;

Developed and implemented communications and marketing plans and assisted in the development of strategic planning and programming for the Players Trust, a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization

Oversaw production of television PSA campaigns that generated $100 million+ in media value over three years

Created and implemented PR, media and promotional programs that earned more than two billion gross media impressions annually

Oversaw the development and launch of MLBPlayers.com and PlayersTrust.org, including vendor review, project management, development and creative oversight

Organized, produced and promoted annual Players Choice Awards cable television program broadcast on MLB Network

Served as chief MLBPA communications liaison with Major League Baseball for various programs managed jointly by owners and players, including Players Weekend and the World Baseball Classic international baseball tournament

Created and helped administer the Action Team national youth volunteer program that grew to include more than 100 high schools in 35 states

Personal Statement

Personal Statement

I am proud to be a faculty member of the 海角社区 Sport Management program, and I am excited to be able to share my 35+ years of professional sport business experience with future generations of sport industry executives. In the courses I teach, I strive to teach sound theory mixed with real-world sport industry experience...taking students 'behind the curtain' as the saying goes. 

Specialization/Interests

Specialization/Interests

Although I have been involved with all aspects of professional sport opertaions, my expertise rests in the areas of communications, media relations, public relations, marketing and corporate social responsibility.

Teaching Philosophy

Teaching Philosophy

My personal teaching philosophy is rooted deeply in my own experiences as a college student, when I was a member of the first wave of individuals to embark on the academic pursuit of a sport management degree. Back in 1980, while a student at Biscayne College in Miami, FL, and later at UMass/Amherst – two of about four or five institutions offering Bachelor’s Degrees in sport management/sports administration at the time – I was excited and energized by the subject matter, but dismayed by the instructors’ lack of real-world experience.  To be fair, at that point in time, the sport industry was just beginning to emerge as a bona fide business.  Moreover, it would have been nearly impossible for an individual to have gone through one of the few sport management programs available, gained valuable industry experience and enter the academic world to share their knowledge and experiences with students in the classroom.

To that end, as a 20-year-old, I made a personal promise and commitment to myself to share my knowledge and experience with future generations of sport management students, if I was to be fortunate enough to carve out a career in the industry.

My teaching philosophy centers around the desire to teach sound theories related to various aspects of business (e.g., public relations, marketing, sales, promotion, operations, etc.) and combine them with the varied and nuanced ways they are applied successfully (and unsuccessfully) in the sport industry. And my background provides me with an unmatched perspective, having worked at the collegiate, professional league, professional team, players’ union and broadcast network levels of the industry.

I am of the mindset that this industry can’t be entirely learned from a textbook. My hands-on industry experience, during the time of greatest change in the industry, brings the above referenced subjects, and others, to life through real-world experiences. I combine my experiences with real-time industry happenings, to bring my course subjects to life.

Through required reading, online industry newsletter subscriptions, course material, and discussion forums, I believe my approach delivers students unique opportunities to learn sound theories and put those to the test through tangible and meaningful assignments.

I also believe strongly that exposing students to others currently working in the industry and related fields helps reinforce their knowledge base.  These interactions with some of the industry’s most recognized professionals, also serve to inspire students by allowing them to learn first-hand how the path to success in this highly-competitive industry can be achieved. Each semester, I do my best to welcome guest speakers to each of my classes, either in person or virtually.  This provides the students with the ability to ask questions of their own to highly-respected industry executives; and turning those interactions into personal networking connections.