Note: This is the 17th article in the CoSIDA Special Awards feature series which will highlight all 2013 Special Award recipients. All recipients will be honored at the
CoSIDA Convention (June 12-15) in conjunction with the NACDA and Affiliates Convention at Orlando's Marriott World Center.
See the full list of recipients and features schedule.
by Craig Lawson
Washington State University Athletic Communications Assistant Director
For Washington State’s
Linda Chalich, her career in sports information has come full circle. After graduating from WSU in 1975 with a degree in education, she returned to school and earned a second degree, this one in communications in 1977.
In July of 1977, Chalich was named the assistant sports information director for her alma mater and became the first assistant SID in Pullman for the now-retired Rod Commons, a past president of CoSIDA.
This June, she joins others who have served a quarter of a century in the athletic communications field in receiving a CoSIDA 25-Year Award for long-time service to the profession. Chalich will receive her honor on June 14 at the Special Award Luncheon during the CoSIDA Convention in Orlando.
After one year in Pullman, the Spokane, Wash., native was named sports information director at Eastern Washington. She worked at the Cheney, Wash., school for two years, served as a spokesman for the AIAW’s Region IX (1979-81) and was editor of the NCWSA Forum, a quarterly newsletter of the Northwest College Women’s Sports Association Executive Board (1981-83).
Chalich then took a break from the profession to start a family and relocated to San Diego with her family. She returned to the business is 1988 as assistant director of athletic media relations at San Diego State.
When her position with the Aztecs was eliminated due to state-mandated budget restrictions, Chalich remained the football press box manager and director of statisticians at San Diego State.
In 1992, Chalich returned home to Washington State and has been in Pullman for over two decades. In her current role, she serves as an assistant athletic communications director. She is responsible for the day-to-day publicity of the Cougar track and field, cross country and women’s volleyball teams.
In addition, she coordinates the WSU student program for athletic communications which has produced dozen of SIDs through the years.
Chalich is a past co-chair of CoSIDA’s Gambling Awareness Committee, was assistant venue press chief for the 1990 Goodwill Games in Spokane, Wash., and currently teaches sport management classes at Washington State.
She has one daughter, Alison.