Around the CoSIDA Nation: Member Spotlight: Brian DePasquale's departure from Albany a big loss

Around the CoSIDA Nation: Member Spotlight: Brian DePasquale's departure from Albany a big loss

Brian DePasquale serves as the University at Albany's Associate Athletics Director for Communications and Media Relations and received a 25-Year Award from CoSIDA during the 2011 Convention this past June. He will embark on a new position later this semester, moving from the collegiate ranks to a new communciations position with the United States Golf Association.

This column on DePasquale appeared in the Schenectady, N.Y. newspaper and online edition of The Schenectady Daily Gazette and was written by Bob Weiner.

At Albany, DePasquale is responsible for the publicity and promotion of the school's 19 varsity sports, producing a television and radio package for football and basketball, managing the development of the athletic web site (www.ualbanysports.com), and publicizing the New York Giants football training camp which is held at Albany's facilities.

Prior to joining the Albany athletics department in 1994, DePasquale previously served as assistant sports information director at Colgate University (1988-94), sports information director at Drexel University (1985-88), and information director for the East Coast Conference (1983-85).

DePasquale has worked at numerous United States Golf Association (USGA) championships, including the U.S. Open from 1993-2010. He also served as a press officer at the 1992 XVI Winter Olympic Games in Albertville, France. He received a B.A. in journalism and a master's degree in athletic administration from The Ohio State University.

Read online: DePasquale's departure a big loss, by Bob Weiner, dailygazette.com

University at Albany administrators, coaches and fans of Great Danes sporting events won't realize how important sports information director and assistant athletic director Brian DePasquale has been to the Great Danes athletic department until some time next month.

The long time SID is headed for the United States Golf Association, and he'll take his multiple skills with him.

DePasquale is a throwback to an age when sports information directors handled just every aspect of their college sports programs. Since he works behind the scenes, fans and alumni have no clue what he's meant to UAlbany.

After many years of part-time sports information directors, UAlbany hired several full-time SIDs that just didn't pan out until DePasquale came onto the scene. He knows how to handle all the local media -- electronic and print -- and he has made the transition to the on-line world, as well. DePasquale has always been available at all times of the day or night to set up a quick interview or to provide background information. He makes sure his coaches and players are available, when possible, and provides all of the media with background information, photos and other important tools.

What many people don't realize is that not only does he keep track of the statistics of the UAlbany sport teams, but he also produces many of the games. That means handling the scorebook or running the computer program during many of the sporting events at the school. When radio play-by-play man Rodger Wyland of Ch. 13 needs something before he goes on the air, it's DePasquale's job to make it happen. He's one of few SIDs who still makes road trips and keeps the scorebook. When the game is over, he writes up a recap and sends it to all the local media outlets.

In this era, SIDS have been hard-pressed to do their job with less and less help. UAlbany is a Division I program, and DePasquale has only one full-time assistant. The fact that he's been so productive and helpful over all of these years with such little support is remarkable.

DePasquale, who plans to leave for his new job with the USGA sometime after football season concludes, will be missed. It will be extremely difficult for UAlbany to replace him, because few people are willing to work the many long hours that he does.

Maybe now he'll actually have time to play some golf.