SUNY Oneonta's Geoff Hassard Named ECAC-SIDA College Marsh Award Recipient

SUNY Oneonta's Geoff Hassard Named ECAC-SIDA College Marsh Award Recipient

Courtesy of ECAC-SIDA

Geoff Hassard, Assistant Director of Athletics/Sports Information Director at SUNY Oneonta, has been selected as the ECAC-SIDA's 2015 College Division Irving T. Marsh Award recipient. The award is presented annually to one who has exhibited excellence in the field of sports information. It was first presented in 1966 and is named after Irving T. Marsh, the ECAC Service Bureau founder and director until his retirement in 1973.
 
"To be nominated for this award is an honor in itself, but to actually be selected is beyond belief," said Hassard. "When I think of the incredible men and women who have received this award I am humbled to be in their company.  My goal has always been to do the best I can for the student athletes at my institution and to make a contribution to this profession."
 
Hassard is in his 22nd year as an athletics communications professional in 2014-15. He is also entering his 16th year as the full time Sports Information Director at SUNY Oneonta, the last 10 years in the dual role of Assistant Athletics Director.
 
"Geoff is a consummate professional in his daily interactions with campus constituents, coaching staff and student athletes," said SUNY Oneonta Director of Athletics Tracey Ranieri. "I am proud that he has made significant contributions to the ECAC-SIDA organization and throughout his career has been the strongest of advocates for the profession. His passion and commitment to mentoring aspiring SIDs is also noteworthy."
 
Hassard handles all publicity for the College's 21 varsity athletic programs, maintains the Athletics Department web site, produces all of the Department's publications, researches historical records of the varsity athletics program and maintains records and statistics for all teams and individual athletes. He also serves as the Chair for the College's Hall of Fame Committee.

Hassard's administrative duties include serving as part of the senior staff of the athletics department while overseeing the department's discipline policy.

Prior to his arrival to Upstate New York, Hassard spent five years at WPI in Worcester, Massachusetts as its Sports Information Director, where he was responsible for promoting 19 varsity teams. He was involved in the school's athletic booster club, Hall of Fame, alumni events and was responsible for promoting athletes for the Academic All-America program.

Hassard is a member of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and served a three-year term (2008-11) on the Board of Directors as the College Division Representative from the Northeast Region. He also serves on the Academic All-America Committee, which he has done since 1995 as a District Coordinator for various sports. He has been a presenter on panels and table topics at the CoSIDA national convention.

Hassard is an active member of the ECAC Sports Information Directors Association (ECAC-SIDA) where he served as the Organization's President during the 2012-13 year.  In addition, he has served the Organization in various capacities over the years including sitting on the Rookie Committee and Membership Committee. In 2006 he was the host for the ECAC-SIDA professional development workshop in Oneonta.

During his tenure at Oneonta, 23 athletes have received Academic All-District honors 38 times, including 24 on the first team. Eleven of his athletes have earned national Academic All-America status, including three first team selections.

A native of Stoneham, Massachusetts, Hassard is a 1989 magna cum laude graduate of Bridgewater (Mass.) State College where he received a bachelor's degree in physical education and teacher's certification for grades 5-12. In 1990, he completed a Master of Education degree from Springfield College concentrating in the area of athletic administration.

 "For ECAC-SIDA to honor me with this recognition is gratifying and there are many people to thank for being role models and mentors of excellence in athletic communications," added Hassard. "I am truly honored."
 
After honoring one person from 1966 through 1990, the Irving T. Marsh Service Bureau Award was expanded to its present format in 1991, in which one recipient from the University Division (Division I or II) and one recipient from the College Division (Division III, NAIA or Junior College) are recognized annually.

The awards are presented at the ECAC-SIDA Awards dinner held on Thursday, June 4 at the Sea Crest Resort in North Falmouth, Massachusetts.

Among the past College Division Marsh Award winners are Joseph Kamin of Bowdoin College (1970), Johnny Nelson of Alfred University (1984), Bob Kenworthy of Gettysburg College (1991), Sheila Stevenson of Rowan University (1999), Ernie Larossa of Johns Hopkins University (2012) and Bill Gorman of Wentworth Institute of Technology (2014).

A complete list of Irving T. Marsh Award winners is available at www.ecacsida.org/marsh.

Established in 1955, the Eastern College Athletic Conference-Sports Information Directors Association provides support for the sports information directors of the many schools affiliated with the ECAC. Membership is open to all sports information directors, conference information directors, public relations directors, athletic communicators and corporations that have a vested interest in the welfare of the organization. ECAC-SIDA is one of the nation's largest sports information director associations, with member colleges and universities ranging from Maine to North Carolina in Divisions I, II and III as well as NAIA institutions and junior colleges.