Bowie State and the wider HBCU athletics community is mourning the loss of Clyde Doughty Jr. The VP of Athletics & Recreation was a longtime college sports administrator who helped guide the Bulldogs through a period of on-field success and a growing emphasis on academic support.
The HBCU announced Doughty’s passing in a statement released Tuesday afternoon.
“We are deeply saddened to share the passing of Vice President of Athletics & Recreation, ????? ???????, ??. His legacy will forever remain,” the statement read. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and the entire Bowie State community.”
Doughty joined Bowie State in January 2015 as director of intercollegiate athletics and was elevated in 2018 to vice president for intercollegiate athletics and recreation, a role that placed him at the center of the school’s NCAA Division II athletic operations.
Before arriving in Maryland, Doughty spent 38 years at New York Institute of Technology, first as a Division II student-athlete and later as a senior administrator. He earned a basketball scholarship to NYIT and played on teams that reached the NCAA Division II Tournament in 1978 and 1980. The 1980 group advanced to the national championship game, falling to Virginia Union University.
After graduating, Doughty began his administrative career as an academic advisor to student-athletes in 1982. He became assistant director of athletics in 1984 and, in 1988, succeeded William T. Lai as NYIT’s director of athletics and recreation.
During his NYIT tenure, the Bears earned numerous postseason appearances in NCAA and Eastern College Athletic Conference play, and Doughty was credited with prioritizing student success in the classroom. Upon his departure, NYIT’s athletic department posted an overall GPA of 3.3, according to his professional biography.
At Bowie State, Doughty’s leadership coincided with championship runs and NCAA postseason breakthroughs. at the HBCU The women’s bowling program captured five consecutive CIAA titles and earned NCAA tournament berths in 2018 and 2019. Men’s basketball won the CIAA title in 2017, women’s basketball reached the NCAA Sweet Sixteen in 2018, and football posted three NCAA playoff appearances from 2017 through 2019 while winning back-to-back CIAA championships in 2018 and 2019.
Doughty often described academics as his top priority. In 2015 he developed the Athletic Academic Enhancement Program, later adding initiatives such as the AD’s Honor Roll (for student-athletes with a 3.2 GPA or higher), the Bulldog Book Bank to help meet educational needs, and a mentorship program connecting student-athletes with faculty and alumni.
His influence extended beyond campus through NCAA service. Doughty held appointments on Division II committees, including work tied to graduation rates, championship administration, budget and finance, and diversity leadership. He also served for years as master of ceremonies for the NCAA Career in Sports Forum, a national event that introduces selected student-athletes to careers in sports.
Doughty held a bachelor’s degree in business management and earned two master’s degrees at NYIT, in human resource management and human relations. He was also pursuing a doctoral degree in educational leadership at Bowie State.
No additional details were released Tuesday about funeral arrangements.