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It is easy to determine how successful Steve McClosk
ey is.
• Eric Bohannon, Associate Communications Director, Old Dominion
• Christopher Boswell, Assistant Sports Information Director, Vassar
• Jon Holtz, Athletic Communications Director, Slippery Rock
• Ryan McNamara, Assistant Sports Information Director, Mansfield
• Kris Petersen, Associate Communications Director, Penn State
• Greg Pellegrino, Director of Sports Information, Holy Family
• Patrick Ross, Director of Media Relations, Middle Atlantic Conference
The names represent only a branch or two of the “Steve McCloskey sports information tree.” It is a redwood that reaches into the clouds in the sky. McCloskey’s tutoring and mentoring is all over the place, in sports informatiIon and otherwise.
McCloskey will be recognized for 25 years in the business during the June CoSIDA Convention in Orlando.
It’s been
25 years of teaching future athletic media relations pros and representing his alma mater, Mansfield, with a down-home kind of approach that makes the “publics” he deals with feel like members of the family. Mansfield University is a member of NCAA Division II and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.
McCloskey started building his “extended family” by enrolling at Mansfield. By 1988, he had made such an impression that the University named him director of sports information and promotions, before McCloskey had completed his undergraduate degree work!
He literally put Mansfield back on the national radar by taking a piece of his alma mater’s history and bringing it back to life. Mansfield had host
ed the first-ever night
football game, on September 28, 1892. On the 100-year anniversary of that game, McCloskey rolled out a public relations blitz that captured attention from coast-to-coast.
Since that time, the town of Mansfield has celebrated “1890s Weekend” with a festival, parade and reenactment of the first night football game.
Some 20 years later, he went to the well again and helped the University stage its first night football game in 121 years.
In 2008, McCloskey was promoted to director of athletic operations and information at Mansfield. The school named him its Employee of the Year in 2009.
The “McCloskey Playbook of P.R.” has spread through the student assistants he has influenced during his tenure at Mansfield. He started as a one-man shop charged with publicizing the Mountaineer Athletic Program. When his vision of developing an effective sports information operation looked challenging for one person to achieve, he inaugurated a volunteer student assistant program. The University has benefitted from the extra man-power and the students have benefitted from McCloskey’s teaching.
“Steve has not only been an incredible mentor and teacher during my time at Mansfield, but also a great friend,” said McNamara. “He is one of the most passionate and selfless people I’ve ever met. “
“He has a reputation for bringing out the best in people,” added McNamara
The CoSIDA 25-Year Award is just one of many honors McCloskey has received over the years. In 2003, he received
the Irving T. Marsh Distinguished Service Award from ECAC-SIDA (Eastern College Athletic Conference-Sports Information Directors Association).
The ECAC-SIDA group also recognized him seven years later with the Bob Kenworthy Good Person Award. The award description fits McCloskey
to a T:
Given to an exceptional person who, through their actions, shows a tremendous level of respect for the the profession, colleagues, his or her institution, the media and the community, and for their contributions to the corporation and mission of ECAC-SIDA.
“Steve is without a doubt one of the most influential people in my life,” noted Holtz. “He taught me so much about this profession in such a short time. More importantly, he taught me about being a good man and always being true to your values.”
McCloskey’s sphere of influence extends way beyond the Mansfield campus.
A natural leader of people, he served on the ECAC-SIDA Executive Board from 1993-2000 and was the organization’s president in 1998-99.
“What defines Steve is his humanity and his integrity,” said Terry Day, who worked with McCloskey as a member of the media and now serves as assistant director of public relations at Mansfield. “He genuinely cares about the players and coaches as people.”