Perspective: When Your AD is a Former SID
by Maurice Williams, Sports Information Director and
Lonza Hardy Jr., Director of Athletics
Hampton University
Even if your Athletics Director does not come from the media relations/communications background, there are many ways to enhance your relationship with your AD. Make yourself a valuable asset to your department to enhance your professional profile. This also gives you opportunities to network and interact with other athletic administrators and helps you gain skills and knowledge to make your own transition into an athletic administrative role in the future.
BACKGROUND
Both Maurice Williams and Lonza Hardy Jr. are completing their second year as employees at Hampton University in Virginia. Hardy, the school’s Director of Athletics, spent 22 years as a decorated professional in sports information and media relations on the institutional and conference levels before ascending to the athletics director’s role at Mississippi Valley State University in 2001.
Hardy, a former recipient of CoSIDA's Bob Kenworthy Community Service Award and a member of CoSIDA's Board of Directors, served nine years (1980-89) in sports information at Alcorn State and Southern University (Baton Rouge), earning SWAC Sports Information Director of the Year honors four times. He then spent 11 years as associate commissioner of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) before his selection as Mississippi Valley State AD. In his six years, the university won more league championships than it had in the prior 33 years combined.
Williams, a 2005 Livingstone College graduate, is in his third year as a full-time sports information director. In addition to his SID responsibilities, Williams also aides with the fundraising and marketing activities for Hampton athletics.
WHEN AN EX-SID IS AN AD
When the Director of Athletics is a former Sports Information Director, the SID should have the confidence in knowing that he/she does not have to explain continuously what the sports information profession is all about – namely because the AD has “been there and done that.” This situation dictates what should be a very collegial relationship.
The AD will understand how to handle the media, he/she will be supportive of the SID during those occasional clashes with the coaching staff and he/she will surely understand the long hours worked, the budgeting issues and the overall stress level incumbent with handling crisis situations, meeting never-ending deadlines and producing quality publications.
TEAMWORK
For any Sports Information Office to be successful, teamwork is the key. There must be clear and consistent interaction between the SID’s office and the AD’s office. At Hampton, during the AD’s down times and during the SID’s critical overload times, I am very fortunate that our AD occasionally lends a hand in proofreading media guide and other special publications and news releases.
Likewise, the SID occasionally assists the AD with special projects outside the sports information realm, such as with special reports and projects.
MENTORING
One of the special benefits of an SID working for an AD who has a sports information background is that the Sports Information Director is afforded the opportunity to work daily in a professionally-nourishing environment where he/she can learn firsthand about the steps which should be taken to become a key playmaker in the athletics program’s administration.
At Hampton, as Sports Information Director, I am a member of the Athletics Management Team (AMT), the policy and decision-making arm of the Department of Athletics. As a member of the AMT, I have the opportunity to keep the nine-member management team abreast of all key activities within the Sports Information Office.
Just as important, I have an open ear, and even input, on activities in all other areas of the athletics program, including compliance, student support and academic services, marketing, facility management, ticketing and community service. That exposure and input helps to pave the way for future opportunities for the SID, including possibly becoming an athletics director at some point in the future.