Unparalleled memory, gallons of water and a 646-game streak have been Bill Mahoney’s companions for 25 years at UC Santa Barbara
by Linda Chalich, Special Awards Committee Vice-Chair
PULLMAN, WA – Bill Mahoney will celebrate a quarter-century as a sports information director on Tuesday, July 6, in San Francisco when he will receive the College Sports Information Director’s of America 25-year Award.
Mahoney will receive the honor at a luncheon ceremony during CoSIDA’s annual convention at the San Francisco Marriott Marquis. The CoSIDA 25-Year Award is presented to sports information directors who have completed 25 years in the profession.
A graduate of Long Beach State, Mahoney found his way to UC Santa Barbara in 1984 where he has been ever since.
During his 25 years at UCSB, Mahoney has become a living encyclopedia of knowledge about the Gaucho athletics program. His picture perfect memory allows him to recall specific details about hundreds of UCSB events. He remembers key plays, player stats and could probably even remember the weather outside.
Mahoney has covered men's basketball at UCSB for years and boasts a nearly flawless attendance record. In fact, his streak now stands at 646 consecutive games. He hasn’t missed a Gaucho game since watching Brian Shaw’s final appearance at The Thunderdome in 1988.
He has gone to great lengths to keep the streak alive, even getting his sister-in-law to change her wedding date so he wouldn’t miss a 2002 home game against UC Irvine.
The streak has become so important to him that he often travels on the team bus, even when it means leaving a day early for a Southern California game. “I have this bizarre fear of driving myself on game day, my car breaks down, and I miss the game,” he said.
Mahoney was working out of an old trailer when his streak began. He can still remember the license plate number. He shared the small trailer with his entire staff, plus several rats, possums and raccoons.
“There was a little space between the floor and the bottom of the trailer, and you could hear the little animals crawling around there at night,” he said.
Speaking of The Thunderdome, it was Mahoney who named it during the 1986-87 season when the arena began attracting larger crowds.
“Mitch Massey from Channel 6 (KSBY-TV) called to get a score, but it was so loud that I could barely hear him,” Mahoney said.
Mahoney admits to only one superstition: He doesn’t watch when the opposing team tries to beat UCSB with a last-second shot. “I just turn and look at our bench and wait for their reaction,” he said. But he also has the nervous habit of drinking gallons of water during every Gaucho game.
More impressive than his mind for statistics and his sharp memory is his ability to relate to his co-workers, many of whom he simply calls friends. His office is where coaches, staff and administrators go to be heard and offered solid advice. It is amazing he is able to get any work done with the number of people who come in seeking his one-of-a-kind opinion.