The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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36 ■ THE WOLFPACKER WHEREARETHEYNOW? games in Reynolds Coliseum before Case hired Bryant away in 1964. The Wolfpack advanced to four of the next six ACC title games, winning the 1965 and 1970 cham- pionships with surprise victories over Duke and South Carolina, respectively. Bryant worked for Case-successor Press Maravich in 1965-66 and then Norm Sloan before entering private business following the Wolfpack's 1970 ACC championship season. He spent seven years with a textile machine manufacturing company and in the banking industry before returning to NC State to take over as executive director of the Wolfpack Club for an ailing Warren Carroll. He spent 21 years, from 1977-97, work- ing to fulfill the scholarship and facilities needs of NC State varsity sports for athlet- ics directors Willis Casey, Jim Valvano and Todd Turner. In 1991, after 15 years as executive sec- retary of the Student Aid Association, he was named the Director of Development for the Wolfpack Club. He fought the nec- essary legislative battles to get approval for the Entertainment and Sports Arena (now PNC Arena) next to Carter-Finley Stadium, a process that started in 1984 and spanned multiple political and university administra- tions. In the years since, NC State has moved forward with long-planned upgrades to the football stadium that make it one of the most complete operational complexes in the country. "Once you get something going, getting the movement started, it just builds on it- self," Bryant noted. "We had the toughest times getting the arena started. [Raleigh real estate developer] Steve Stroud and I went downtown a million times, met with legisla- tors and the governor, make that governors, to get it going. "We fought and fought and fought. I said then, once we get this arena started, we can get going on the Wolfpack Pride campaign, and things will start to take off. People will buy these lifetime seating rights in basket- ball, and it will transfer right over to foot- ball. That was the key to it all." Bryant stayed on for a few years as a member of the Wolfpack Club Board of Directors, but has spent much of his retire- ment on his home golf course in Cary and recreational rounds at courses across the state. He's been a handy advisor to Purcell for the last two decades, without hovering over anyone's shoulders. "After he retired and I took over, I knew he was always there for me," Purcell said. "We've continued to stay in touch on a regular basis. He is a big part of any success I have had professionally. "He a man of tremendous integrity and compassion. His legacy will never be forgot- ten by those of us at the Wolfpack Club." ■ After retiring in March of 1997, Bryant settled down on a golf course in Cary, N.C., and lends a helping hand to his successor at the Wolfpack Club, Bobby Purcell, whenever needed. PHOTO COURTESY THE WOLFPACK CLUB Tim Peeler is a regular contributor to The Wolfpacker. You may contact him at tmpeeler@ncsu.edu.