The BIG EAST's John Paquette honored by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association
Courtesy of The BIG EAST Conference
John Paquette was honored with the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association Distinguished Service Award for his years of service and dedication on April 15 at the organization’s banquet.
The BIG EAST Conference Associate Commissioner for Communications, Paquette joined the league in 1990. He has served as the media coordinator for 23 conference tournaments, administering to more than 600 on-site media representatives annually at Madison Square Garden.
In addition to his duties with the BIG EAST, Paquette also serves as the primary spokesman for the Bowl Championship Series and is the chair of the national association of conference public relations professionals.
Paquette graduated from Marquette in 1978 with a degree in journalism. His first fulltime job was as SID at Wagner. He then served as SID at St. Peter’s, Assistant Commissioner of the MAAC and Assistant Athletic Director/SID at Seton Hall.
This is the second time Paquette has been honored by the Met Writers Association, after earning the Mike Cohen “Good Guy” Award in 1989.
In April of 2007, Paquette was honored as a winner of the Arch Ward award, the highest honor given by CoSIDA to an outstanding member of the media relations profession. Paquette also was the recipient of the 2009 Katha Quinn Award from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). This award is presented by the USBWA in memory of Katha Quinn, sports information director at St. John's University who died of cancer. It is given to recognize those in college basketball who have rendered a special service to the USBWA and sportswriters who cover college basketball.
In the summer of 2012, he completed a three-year term on the CoSIDA Board of Directors.