Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau Hires Director of Sports Sales & Marketing From: News Release 1/14/12  The Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) announces the hire of Torye Hurst who has joined the CVB as Director of Sports Sales & Marketing to further develop the growing sports industry on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Hurst comes with a wealth of experience within the field of sports, having spent the past eleven years at Virginia Tech as associate director of athletics communications. During his tenure at Virginia Tech, Hurst served as the media coordinator for the 2004 NCAA Women’s Basketball first and second rounds in Blacksburg, Va. Additionally, Hurst has handled the play-by-play duties for the Tech baseball program for the past eight years, as well as serving in the same capacity on webcasts for the ACC at the 2005 and 2006 baseball championships. His 2008-09 and 2009-10 women’s basketball media guides were named fifth and eighth best, respectively, in the nation. Prior to arriving in Blacksburg, Hurst was the director of marketing and media relations for the Peach Belt Conference in Augusta, Ga., for eight years. In 1996, he also was a member of the media relations team for the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga, serving as the interview room manager at the Stone Mountain Tennis Center. “Mr. Hurst’s experience, management and marketing skills will certainly ‘play well’ with our efforts to consolidate a coast wide Sports Marketing and Sales Department within the Mississippi Gulf Coast CVB. We look forward to Torye bringing a higher awareness of our sports products to the nation, and the nation to our Gulf Coast destination,” said Beth Carriere, executive director of the CVB. Hurst completed a bachelor’s of science degree in radio, television and film in 1982 from the University of Southern Mississippi and worked for the university for eight years as the program manager of WUSM-FM. He then completed a master’s degree in sports administration from USM in 1992. The Harrison County Tourism Commission, an organization charged with promoting South Mississippi as a tourism and convention destination worldwide, does business as the Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau. Its mission centers on attracting ever-increasing numbers of leisure, convention, sports and business visitors to the area. It is dedicated to maximizing the travel and tourism industry for South Mississippi.