College Sports Information Directors of America

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• 2016 CoSIDA Special Awards general announcement/release
• Special Awards feature story schedule

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by Lindsay Rhodes, NFL Network
 
 
I tell people I'm Tim Tessalone's favorite former intern, but I have a sneaking suspicion that honor might actually belong to the star of "Anchorman." After all, Will Ferrell would probably be a fun dinner party guest. And he majored in "Sports Information" at USC. (Kindred spirit.)

That said, Tim doesn't actually remember Ferrell interning for him. So, I might be Tim's favorite former intern that he knows -- for a fact -- actually interned for him. I'll go with that

In case you're wondering, I've vetted Ferrell's memories of the experience and I feel comfortable believing his assertion that he once clipped newspapers and answered phones for Tim. In fact, it's his memory of said phone answering that sold me.
"I had to say, 'I'll check and see if he's here,'" he said.

Bingo.

It was a small room. We knew who was there. But sometimes Tim was busy, so we had to offer him the opportunity to "not be there." Of course, that was before sports information moved into its spacious new digs. I'm sure that line is used legitimately now.

And he is legitimately busy. After all, he's essentially in charge of shaping the perception of one of the most high-profile college athletic departments in the country. He fields calls all day long.  Coordinates interviews with coaches and athletes. Acts as a fact checker for reporters. (Or, that might just be me.) Writes media guides and game notes. Oversees

six assistants - plus six-to-eight future "Lindsay Rhodes/Will Ferrells." Attends games. Attends practices. Attends banquets. Attends to egos. Sometimes he teaches classes at USC. And he does all of that — in a 70-hour work week -- without coffee. He doesn't drink it. Though, he does, oddly enough, start every day with an orange juice and pastry from Starbucks.

He is, quite simply, one of the best sports information/public relations directors I've ever come across. And while I'm completely biased because of the contribution I made to his newspaper clips collection back in the '90s, I've come in contact with a number of people who do what he does since then — and the patience, commitment and respect with which he does his job is second to none.

As one of my former "USC Coaches Show" producers, Jesse Aron, told me: "Tim was so patient in hearing out all my wild ideas. He let me explain why we should mic up players at practice, go to a coach's house at 5 a.m., or put a GoPro on Matt Barkley's helmet. He turned down many of my requests, but he always took the time to hear them through."

And that's one person. For one show. I can't imagine how many people like Jesse and I are out there. Since Tim took over as sports information director at USC, the school has produced 42 national championship teams, 346 Olympians, 19 CoSIDA Academic All-American First Teamers, 79 All-American football players, 205 NFL draft picks, and five Heisman Trophy winners. (Give or take. NCAA joke.) 

Can you imagine all of the requests he's had to navigate? Or the interest he's had to drum up for those deserving athletes in under-appreciated sports? Or the number of unwanted stories that he's had to endure?

Orange County Register sports editor Todd Harmonson worked as a USC beat writer for six years and penned some of those "unwanted" stories. "I never got an early morning phone call from him blasting me because I happened to write something that put USC in a bad light,” said Harmonson.

"He seemed to care that the information that was getting out was right, not that the information was flattering." 

That's been my experience, too. And it's always impressed me. Because Tim clearly cares about USC. He's spent a majority of his life there. He's invested in the school's reputation. He's helped build it from within.

"Over the last six years, he's given me incredible advice," said former USC Athletic Director Pat Haden. "Good advice and counsel. His judgement is impeccable. He was a great resource for me any time we had a major decision to make."

Haden shared that with me over the phone about an hour after the school's new athletic director was announced. Needless to say, he was busy. In fact, I told someone in the department I was expecting him to cancel our scheduled call. They told me, "Pat loves Tim." And sure enough, my phone rang when it was supposed to.

If you asked me prior to this year, I would have guessed Tim was already a CoSIDA Hall of Fame member. After 32 years as USC's SID? As beloved as he is by both university employees and media members alike?  For his role in bringing the world Will Ferrell? 

In my book, he's been a Hall of Famer for a while. And, I'm ecstatic -- truly, so very proud -- that he is, now, officially, in yours as well.

Congratulations, Tim.