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Scott Strasemeier (United States Naval Academy), 25-Year Award
by Barb Kowal, CoSIDA Director of Professional Development and External Affairs
Scott Strasemeier with wife Kristen.
Scott Strasemeier has spent his entire athletic communication career 33 miles east of our nation’s capital where the Severn River meets the Chesapeake Bay — at the picturesque United State Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
Now in his 26th year at Navy, Strasemeier serves as the senior associate athletic director for sports information. He is the primary media contact for the football program and also serves as the sport administrator for the men's basketball and women's lacrosse programs.
Strasemeier, who will receive his 25-Year Award from CoSIDA at the June convention, moved from the Midwest to start his career after earning his bachelor's degree in sports marketing & management from Indiana University in 1991 where he was a four-year student assistant in the IU sports information office.
Strasemeier started at Navy in 1991 as an intern, then moved into an assistant sports information director role for four years. In 1996, he was named Sports Information Director, then was promoted to Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information seven years later. In 2007, he assumed his current role and title as Associate AD for Sports Information.
Strasemeier has a simple answer for why he has spent his entire career at Navy.
“This one is easy — it's the young men and women who choose to go to the Naval Academy and go on to serve their country,” he noted. “They are the best and brightest the country has to offer and I respect the heck out of each and every one of them. You are dealing with quality people every day.
“Also, I have had two tremendous athletic directors in Chet Gladchuk and Jack Lengyel who have been incredible to work for. They hired quality coaches and staff to make this one of the best places in the country to work.”
As you would suspect for someone who has spent his entire quarter century-plus career at one institution, there are many numbers associated with Strasemeir’s career success.
During his time in Annapolis, he has been involved with 15 bowl games, five NCAA women’s lacross tournaments, three NCAA men’s basketball and baseball tourneys. He has served as the media relations director for 12 Army-Navy football games, four NCAA men's lacrosse quarterfinals, the NCAA women's lacrosse national semifinals and championship game, the NCAA men's hockey Frozen Four and — surprisingly — the Aloha Bowl and the Oahu Bowl.
Yes, you read that correctly; the East-Coast based Strasemeier has had his share of working at two of Hawaii’s football bowl games.
“Navy played in the Aloha Bowl in 1996 and I struck up a friendship with Lenny and Marcia Klompus, who ran the bowl at the time, and they asked me to come and be their media relations director one year,” Strasemeier recalled. “I must admit it was the greatest gig I've ever had. They put me up in a suite at the Sheraton Waikiki, I had a car to drive and all I really had to do was run a daily press conference, handle credentials and coordinate all the game day stuff. The Oahu Bowl took place on Christmas Eve and the Aloha Bowl was Christmas Day. It was a lot of fun.”
One of the highlights each year for Strasemeier and his staff is the annual Army-Navy game. Additionally, one of Navy football’s biggest moments happened in 2015 when quarterback Keenan Reynolds finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting and won the Sullivan Award, which is given to the nation's most outstanding amateur athlete.
“The achievements of Keenan were tremendous, and brought great recognition to the Academy,” noted Strasemeier. “Every single Army-Navy game is memorable, no matter the sport. In my opinion, it's the greatest rivalry in all of sports. There is nobody you want to beat more than Army, but there is nobody you respect more after the game than the young men and women on the other sideline. There are so many great memories from those games I can't even start to list them.”
Besides football, the sport of lacrosse holds a special place for Strasemeier. He currently is a current member of the NCAA Women's Lacrosse selection committee and recommends that CoSIDA members get involved in national committees when possible.
“I have been on the women’s lacrosse selection committee for two years now and I've thoroughly enjoyed it. I've gotten to meet some unbelievable people that I normally would not have met and it's really helped me appreciate the NCAA selection process and how it works,” noted Strasemeier.
The time commitment is heavy in the spring, but Strasemeier enjoys the process.
“It is a significant time commitment, but I would say it's worth it. We have two conference calls per week over the final month of the season and then we go to Indianapolis on the final weekend for the selections. We are also at the Final Four from Wednesday-Sunday to help administrate those three games and we fly to Indy again in June to go over everything post-tourney.”
“As the sport administrator for women's lacrosse at Navy, I watch all of our games and I will watch as many of the other teams as I can via live stream and TV. I encourage anybody that has a chance to be on an NCAA committee to do it.”
Strasemeier currently resides in Annapolis with his wife, Kristen. Once he leaves the office, Scott does not discard his sports interests.
“I would say my hobbies and interests are watching sports, pretty much 24-7,” he noted. “I'm either watching football, basketball or baseball. My wife and I also like to go to the many restaurants in Annapolis and play with our dog, Dallas, who is named after the Cowboys, of course!”
Learn more about the 2017 CoSIDA Convention