Below, see the schedule of the 2012 Special Award recipient feature stories which will be written by CoSIDA members throughout the spring. The full slate of 2012 Special Awards was announced March 2. All awards will be presented during the 2012 CoSIDA Convention in St. Louis (June 23-26).
• Individual feature story schedule for 2012 Special Awards
• CoSIDA St. Louis Convention awards presentation schedule
Bud Ford (University of Tennessee) to receive Lifetime Achievement Award
by Tam Flarup, University of Wisconsin/Chair of the Special Awards Committee
Receiving the CoSIDA Lifetime Achievement award this summer is an individual who truly gave his lifetime to one school. Bud Ford, the long-serving athletic media relations director at the University of Tennessee, has closed a 45-and-a-half year career with the Volunteers.
Ford, the CoSIDA Arch Ward honoree in 2006 for outstanding achievement in the profession by a university division member, and a 2001 inductee into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame, has had a distinguished award-winning career in Knoxville. He began with the UT media relations office as a student at Tennessee in 1964 - and never left.
Along the way the Knoxville native served numerous coaches and athletes. John Painter of the UT media relations office said, “Ford always let it be known that he stood for integrity, passion and tradition when it came to his beloved University of Tennessee. And he displayed those traits every day to head coaches, student assistants, media representatives and fans alike.”
When one serves in the same office for such a long time, he touches the lives of many. Ford served six different football coaches, several of whom offered their praise for Ford.
"Bud Ford loves Tennessee with a passion that shows through in the way he does his job," former UT football coach and UT legend Phillip Fulmer said. "He was always helpful to me as a player, assistant, and especially as the head coach. Whatever the situation, you could be sure he always was protective of the integrity, tradition and image that makes Tennessee football special."
Former UT football coach Johnny Majors said, "Bud Ford is one of the most valuable people to an athletics department I have ever known. I've worked with some mighty good people, and Bud Ford is as good as they come. He is honest and loyal to the highest degree and has great integrity. He is extremely efficient and knowledgeable about his profession, and has been invaluable to me and to anyone else who worked with him at the University of Tennessee. He also was invaluable to the many sportscasters, writers and media around the country."
Ford is one member of the profession who had the rare distinction of spending his entire career at his alma mater. He began his career as a part-time employee in the sports information office and, in 1966, was named Tennessee’s first full-time assistant to his friend and mentor, the late Haywood Harris, with whom he worked beside for 35 years.
In January 1988, Ford was promoted to sports information director and in March 1989, was named assistant athletics director for sports information. He was promoted in April 2000, to the position of associate athletics director for media relations.
Former CoSIDA president Charles Bloom, currently the SEC Associate Commissioner for Media Relations, worked with Ford for years. "Bud's commitment to the principles of honesty, loyalty, fairness and hard work has made him one of the most respected people in athletics media relations. He has also taught these principles to the many people who have been under his tutelage and have gone on to outstanding careers themselves. Because of this, Bud's impact has been felt not only at the University of Tennessee but in the Southeastern Conference and all across the nation."
Debby Jennings, the former long-serving associate athletic director for media relations for the Lady Vols, worked with Ford for over 35 years. Like Ford, Jennings is a member of the CoSIDA Hall of Fame and an Arch Ward honoree. She said this about working with Ford:
"Just like the Orange and White checkerboard in Neyland Stadium, Bud Ford has been woven into the fabric of the University of Tennessee athletics department his entire life," Jennings said. "For more than 40 years, he has had an amazing lifelong impact on UT athletics in ways that can never be quantified.
"Bud is a Tennessee man through and through and a walking encyclopedia of UT sports. During his career in sports information, he will tell you he always put the success of the Vol student-athlete first and foremost."
With his retirement, Ford left behind a legacy of success that included more than 35 "Best in the Nation" honors for Tennessee’s publications. Along with his CoSIDA Awards, Ford was given Honorary Letterman status by Tennessee's T-Club in 2005 for his faithful service to the university. He is also a member of the Tennessee Sports Writers' Association Hall of Fame, and the Greater Knoxville Sports Halls of Fame.
Ford graduated from West High School in 1962, and from UT with a degree in retail in 1966. He and his wife, Sandra, reside in the Halls Crossroads community of North Knoxville and have been longtime members of Salem Baptist Church. They have two grown children -- Brent, a graduate of UT; and Julie, who completed her teaching degree at Carson-Newman College and master's at Lincoln Memorial University.
Individual recipient feature story schedule for 2012 Special Awards
General 2012 Special Awards release
March
Mon., 5: Kim Wenger (Centennial Conference): Rising Star Award (College Division) – by Ann King (The Sage Colleges)
Wed, 7: Malcolm Moran: Jake Wade Award: by Joe Hornstein, CoSIDA 2nd Vice President
Fri., 9: Maurice Williams (Hampton University): Rising Star Award (University Division) – by Ed Hill, Jr. (Howard University)
Mon. 12: Bernie Cafarelli (Notre Dame): 25-Year Award - by Debbie White (Old Dominion)
Wed. 14: Peter Schlehr (Towson University): Lifetime Achievement Award – by Ann King (The Sage Colleges)
Fri. 16: Debbie Copp (University of Oklahoma): CoSIDA Hall of Fame - by Ann King (The Sage Colleges)
Mon. 19: Chuck Sadowski (University of Bridgeport): 25-Year Award - by Ann King (The Sage Colleges)
Wed. 21: Bob Condron (USOC): Lifetime Achievement Award and Keith Jackson Eternal Flame Award - by Mike Mahon, former Drake & South Dakota SID
Fri. 23: Jack Neumann (University of Calgary): Warren Berg Award - by Paul Carson, former University of Toronto SID
Mon. 26: John Lewandowki (Michigan State): 25-Year Award - by Jamie Weir-Baldwin (Michigan State)
Wed. 28: Kennan Timm (Wisconsin-Oshkosh): CoSIDA Hall of Fame - by Tim Peterman (UW-Eau Claire)
April
Mon., 2: Tom Di Camillo (Pac West Conference, Central Arizona College): CoSIDA Hall of Fame - by Dan Drutz (Saint Peter's College)
Wed., 4: Dave Wohlhueter (CoSIDA treasurer, Cornell-retired): Lester Jordan Award - by Dan O'Connell (Towson University)
Fri., 6: B.L. Efring (Southern Maine): 25-Year Award - by Sheila Stevenson (Rowan University)
Mon., 9: Lawrence Fan (San Jose State): CoSIDA Hall of Fame and Arch Ward Award - by Jack Neumann (University of Calgary)
Wed., 11: Sue Edson (Syracuse): CoSIDA Hall of Fame - by Larry Dougherty (Temple University)
Fri., 13: Mark Bankert (Malone University): 25-Year Award - by Mike Leggert (Malone University)
Mon., 16: Rich Herman (Clarion): Bob Kenworthy Award - by Bob McComas (Slippery Rock)
Fri. 20: Michael MacEachern (Young Harris College)- 25-Year Award - by Tam Flarup (Wisconsin)
Mon., 23: Shelly Poe (Ohio State): Trailblazer Award - by Jeff Hodges (North Alabama)
Tue., 24: Shirley Jones-Hill (Southern Mississippi): 25-Year Award - by Debbie Davis (Conference USA)
Wed., 25: Joe Dier (Mississippi State): 25-Year Award - by Tammy Boclair (Special Awards Committee; former CoSIDA President)
Fri. 27: Roy Pickerill (Kentucky Wesleyan): 25-Year Award - by Ann King (The Sage Colleges)
Mon., 30: Bob Noss (Wright State): 25-Year Award - by Matt Zircher (Wright State)
May
Wed., 2: Wallace Dooley (formerly of Tennessee State): Lifetime Achievement Award - by Bill Hamilton (South Carolina State)
Fri., 4: Jeff Nelson (Penn State): Bill Esposito Backbone Award - by Bill Little (University of Texas)
Mon., 7: Bill Turnage (Florida Southern): Lifetime Achievement Award - by Tam Flarup (Wisconsin)
Wed., 9: Herb Vincent (LSU): 25-Year Award - by Tammy Boclair (Special Awards Committee; former CoSIDA President)
Fri., 11: Mike Mahon (formerly of Drake & South Dakota): Lifetime Achievement Award - by Jack Neumann, University of Calgary
Tue., 15: Bill Wagner (DePauw): 25-Year Award- by Larry Happel, Central College
Wed., 16: Fred Huff (formerly of Southern Illinois-Carbondale): CoSIDA Hall of Fame [Veteran Award Committee recipient] - by Bill Little, University of Texas
Fri., 18: Phil Haddy (University of Iowa): Lifetime Achievement Award - by Larry Scott, Minnesota State Moorhead (retired)
Tue., 22: Dave Geringer (University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth): 25-Year Award - by Larry Scott, Minnesota State Moorhead (retired)
Wed., 23: Charles "Chuck" Prophet (deceased; formerly of Mississippi Valley State): CoSIDA Hall of Fame - by Maurice Williams, Hampton University
Fri., 25: Robert Wilson (Florida State): 25-Year Award -
by Joe Hornstein, FIU and CoSIDA 2nd Vice President
Tue., 29: Dave Fischer (USA Hockey): 25-Year Award - by Dave Moross, Colorado College
June
Fri., 1: Bud Ford (Tennessee): Lifetime Achievement Award - by Tam Flarup, University of Wisconsin
Mon., 4: Robert McKinney (Willamette University): 25-Year Award
Awards to be presented during CoSIDA St. Louis Convention, St. Louis, Missouri Sunday, June 24: Kickoff Luncheon
Awards presented: 25-Year Awards; Trailblazer, Kenworthy Community Service, Rising Star (University and College Divisions), Keith Jackson honors
Monday, June 25: (two award presentations)
CoSIDA Hall of Fame luncheon
Awards presented: Esposito, Lifetime Achievement, CoSIDA Hall of Fame awards
Capital One Special Awards Gala (dinner/ceremony)
Awards presented: Arch Ward, Warren Berg, Jake Wade, Distinguished Service Award, Lester Jordan, Enberg awards; Capital One Academic All-America® Hall of Fame induction