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Tom McGuire (Bloomsburg University), Lifetime Achievement Award
by Ann King, The Sage Colleges Director of Athletic Communications/CoSIDA Special Awards Committee
With his son Nick who competes on the Bloomsburg University cross
country and track and field teams.
Tom McGuire left a lasting impression for the student-athletes and coaches he worked with during his nearly 29-year career as a sports information director. He served loyally at Bloomsburg University for 19 years, with his final title as Director of Sports Information/Athletic Marketing and Promotions.
This past January, McGuire made a change at Bloomsburg, taking on a new challenge and assuming the role of Director of Media Relations and Content Strategy in the Office of Marketing and Communications.
“I was ready for an opportunity to serve Bloomsburg in a different way,” says McGuire. “Instead of just focusing on telling the stories of student-athletes, I get to tell the story of all our students. It is amazing what some of them are doing here in the classroom. Plus, having nights and weekends free is pretty nice.”
In his first four months as director of media relations McGuire successfully pitched stories about a Fulbright Scholar recipient; on a team of students that are in the national finals of soil judging competition; and a story about a new Bloomsburg initiative to help older foster care children.
“My PR skills from my sports info days serve me well in my new role,” says McGuire. “Our story on the foster care program got picked up by 75 newspapers around the country.”
“It has been a pleasure and honor to work with Tom both in his role as sports information director and now as the director of media relations and content strategy. His work ethic and dedication continues to energize and inspire me on a daily basis,” noted Rosalee Rush, Ph.D., Bloomsburg’s Assistant Vice President, Marketing and Communications.
“Tom is the consummate professional. His instincts and ear for news and storytelling have helped secure increased national, regional and local coverage for Bloomsburg University.”
Among his numerous athletic communications honors, McGuire received CoSIDA’s 25-Year Service Award in 2014 and also earned the 2014 ECAC-SIDA University Division Irving T. Marsh Award for excellence in the field of sports information. As a member of CoSIDA, McGuire won several awards for his publications from the organization. He served one term as the ECAC-Sports Information Directors Association’s Division II representative to the executive board.
Tom McGuire and Steve McCloskey.
As Steve McCloskey, Mansfield University’s Director of Athletic Operations and Sports Information noted, “The term consummate professional is the first thing that comes to my mind when speaking of Tom McGuire. Throughout his distinguished career at Wilkes and Bloomsburg, Tom has earned a well-deserved reputation as being one of the most accomplished, dependable and innovative professionals in our business.
“His unselfish passion for the profession has been infused into a generation of SIDs that have worked under his tutelage. Tom’s just damn good at everything he does and does everything with such a wonderful degree of dignity.”
At Bloomsburg, McGuire served as the host SID for dozens of NCAA and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championship events, including hosting the 2008, 2011 and 2015 NCAA D-II national field hockey championships.
McGuire promoted Bloomsburg football players for the Harlon Hill Trophy with Franklyn Quiteh winning the honor in the fall of 2013. In 2006, he also promoted former head football coach Danny Hale to a top-10 finish in the first-ever Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year program. The Huskies were featured numerous times on the CBS Sports Review of the Championships show highlighting the NCAA championships. In addition, he had 11 student-athletes featured in Sports Illustrated's
Faces in the Crowd section.
In the fall of 2005, McGuire added the role of athletic marketing and promotions director to his title and oversaw the licensing program for the university as well. Overall he raised more than $600,000 for scholarships and his last full year in that role saw him hit the $100,000 mark in annual sponsorships.
“The one thing I miss as SID is the daily interaction with student-athletes,” McGuire says. “It was always fun getting to know them as people. I’ll also miss being able to mentor student workers, grad assistants and interns, many who have gone on to do some great things professionally.”
Included among his former interns, graduate assistants and students who went on to work in athletic communications/sports publicity are: Matt Reitnour (Canisius College); Ally Keirn (Army); Ryan Rebholz (IUP); Ryan Yanoshak (formerly of Army); Paul Blascovich (Sarah Lawrence); Lauren Ferrett (Temple); John Scarinci (York, NY); Lindsey Wyckoff Mitchell (formerly of the New Orleans Pelicans); John Gatto (University of Scranton); Don Sherman (Elimira College); Bryan Salvadore (Kutztown); Scott Eddy (St. Bonaventure); Mark Vellek (formerly of Syracuse); Leah Cover (Columbua Blue Jackets), Jackie Eddy (Intern, Big South Conference), Jake Miller (grad assistant Coker College). Chris Matrich (Baltimore Orioles); Jessica Dawidziuk (Milwaukee Brewers); Erin Stancick (Texas Rangers); Santino Stancato (Brooklyn Cyclones)and Tim Hipszer (NBA-TV).
“As a mentor, Tom was and continues to be an inspiration and role model,” said Blascovich. “The field of athletics communication can be frustrating, thankless and exhausting. Tom never let the job get the better of him. He always found the positive in any situation and knew that the most important part of any day was to make time for his family. I can't recall him ever saying an unkind word about a co-worker, and he was always the first to offer genuine praise for a job well done. His legacy will live on through the many who have had the privilege to work with him.”
“Tom has a great way of mentoring and teaching while allowing those on his office run with things on their own,” noted Eddy. “I was able to grow so much as a professional working with him as he not only showed me some of the lessons he had learned in the business, but also allowed me to figure out new things that worked — and how to adjust when they did not. He has had this same invaluable skill with countless student workers. It is certainly no accident or coincidence that so many of his students and assistants have gone on to great things.”
“I will always remember and take heed of his ability to successfully navigate work-life balance that we all struggle with in this business at times,” noted Eddy. “Tom never gave less than 100 percent to his job, but never at the expense of his family. He is the best I have seen at being able to execute the needs of the profession well while making sure that he always made time for his family.”
“Tom is an exceptional mentor and continues to help me both in the profession and life,” added Keirn. “I am so grateful to have learned the sports information trade from such a remarkable person who never lost sight of what was most important — his family.”
Before Bloomsburg, McGuire served as SID at his alma mater Wilkes University for nine and a half years, overseeing communications for 13 varsity athletic teams. He also coached cross country for a few years and served as adviser to the school radio station. A member of the Middle Atlantic Conference Sports Information Directors, McGuire served as its chairman for three years.
“Looking back, I really enjoyed being an SID,” McGuire. “The people in this profession are some of the best and hardest working people around. I’m glad I had a chance to work with so many of them.”
Coaching also was part of McGuire’s background. As head coach of the Seton Catholic (Pittston, Pa.) boys’ varsity basketball team from 1988-93, his team qualified for the District 2 playoffs. He was also a PIAA basketball official for 10 years and served as a youth sports coach in baseball, basketball, and soccer.
A 1985 graduate of Wilkes with a degree in communications, McGuire ran cross country for four years and was named team MVP as a sophomore.
He resides in Mountaintop, Pa., with his wife Audrey and son Nick (20), a cross country student-athlete at Bloomsburg.
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