College Sports Information Directors of America

“More than anything, be efficient, kind, patient and learn when to hold your tongue. Those are traits that I value …. And hire the “right person” – regardless of their experience or knowledge. If you find someone who is a good person, sharp and willing to put in the time to learn and excel, then that’s a great hire … In and out of work, always try to find a way to say “how” rather than “no” whenever you can.”
- Stan Cole

Stan Cole is approaching three decades of service at his alma mater, overseeing Campbell's 21 NCAA Division I varsity sports and its broadcasting program. The primary contact for men's basketball, men's soccer and men's and women's golf teams, Cole was a recipient of a CoSIDA 25-Year Award in 2014. In addition to his athletic communications responsibilities, Cole also is an adjunct professor in the Campbell University Department of Communication Studies where he teaches a sports reporting class.
 
Looking back on your career, what sparked your interest in athletics communication? How did you get your start?
My wife, Claudia, says that I’m doing exactly what I was meant to do. I’ve loved sports for as long as I can remember. I collected football, baseball and basketball cards, and when I was in elementary and middle school, I kept scrapbooks of newspaper clippings from all my favorite teams – the Catawba College Indians (football), Baltimore Colts and Atlanta Braves. For years until they passed away, my grandparents saved the sports section from the Atlanta Journal every day and brought a box of them to me every time they visited us.
 
I read all the “Punt, Pass and Kick” Library (Great Quarterbacks of the NFL, the Making of a Rookie, Great Linebackers of the NFL, Strange But True Football Stories, etc.) books early on, tried to draw pictures of my heroes (always a Baltimore Colt) and that’s probably where my interest in sports writing began.
 
Who were some of your early influences in the profession? How have they helped shape your career?
I discovered sports information when I was a reporter for our campus paper during my freshman year at Campbell (1983-84) and began working for my predecessor, David Snipes, the following year. I traveled with the men’s basketball team to Clemson for an early season tournament and met (CoSIDA Hall of Famer) Bob Bradley and his staff.  Later, when I took the job in the summer of 1989, I tried to emulate Mr. Bradley’s kindness to everyone and professionalism in his job with a true servant’s heart.
 
I completed an internship at the NC State SID office in the summer of 1986 and both Mark Bockelman and Doug Herakovich were incredibly generous with their time. I’ve been fortunate to know people along the way to share my interest in the profession and exchange ideas frequently.
 
At my first CoSIDA workshop (D.C. in 1989), the Big South SIDs gathered and really helped me figure out what I needed to do on a daily basis. I was fine as far as a content generation (it was all print – plus promoting feature ideas to TVs back then), but those men really helped me organize my days. Rick Rogers and Mike Ashley at Radford and Mike Gore at UNC Asheville were especially generous in their mentoring of a 25-year-old rookie.
 
What's been some of your most meaningful accomplishments during your career?
In a world where people and professions change constantly, I’m proud of my tenure at my alma mater. To be thought of well by my peers means the most. I’ve always tried to let the folks who work with me know that we need to be the place visiting teams can count on to provide the information they need in a fair and timely manner.
 
Also important is the relationships I’ve built – and continue to build – on a daily, weekly and yearly basis. Alumni, parents, athletes and colleagues who stay in touch and maintain contact through the years are special.
 
Most important, however, is the fact that our family has grown up around a small college campus – and literally made friends from all over the world. Buies Creek is indeed a special place. It’s where I met Claudia in the fall of 1986, and where we’ve raised our kids, both of whom helped out with our work during their high school years.
 
How has your role changed over the years at Campbell and how much do you enjoy teaching the sports reporting class?
Simply put, when I started, my office equipment was a type writer and calculator. Our first fax machine was installed a month after I started at Campbell. Like every college, most of our content generation has been internal, rather than external. That’s good, because we are able to tell the stories without having to convince an external source that our story is worthy of their audience. That said, the amount of work we do – through visuals, words and sounds – has increased dramatically and is a 12-month enterprise, rather than a pre-season preview, in-season coverage, post-season wrap format.
 
Also, the instant connection and reaction we get from our social media presence is truly amazing. For instance, last May I shared a short video of one of our golfers on the tee box at the NCAA regional in Madison, Wis. No more than 10 seconds after, one of our incoming recruits from Sweden had already “liked” the message. Obviously, that immediate interaction was not possible three decades ago when I got into this business.
 
I do enjoy teaching the class every other spring. All too often, we become insulated from the rest of campus in the athletics department. Teaching provides an outlet for me to connect with this reason we work where we do – the students.

What's been the most enjoyable part of your time in athletic communications?
Honestly, building the relationships I have over the last three decades. It means so much when I run into an alumni, parent or friend at home, or on the road, or speak with them on the phone.

Helping people like Joey Beeler (Davidson) and others make their way in the profession and, hopefully, offering some tips on things I’ve learned about life balance along the way, is what’s special. It’s also been incredible “working for” one of my former students, Ricky Ray, who is now our Associate AD for External Affairs. Seeing how he’s applied one of my touchstones – practicality and efficiency – has been incredibly rewarding.
 
The opportunity to connect with people from all walks of life and all over the world is unbelievable. At the 2017 NCAA men’s golf regional at Purdue, parents from all five of our players were able to attend. Having the chance to walk the course and spend a large amount of time with people from Sweden, Thailand, New York City, Pennsylvania and Coats, N.C., was amazing.
 
Campbell is a great place to raise a family and Buies Creek, south of Raleigh, is a close-knit community, but one where you can literally meet people from all over the world.
 
What’s your expert advice for someone who is new to the athletics communications field? What skills should they have, and how should they approach the demanding job?
Truly, you have to be able to work with a variety of different people, who want your services in a variety of ways. Humility is a big factor here. We are truly support staff. Realizing that we do not have a job without student-athletes, parents, coaches, and other administrators — who decide how many people to pay to do our job — is a great starting place. 
 
Aside from the necessarily tools – all of which someone can learn – like mastering design, statistical and web programs, the most important skill is to be able to communicate effectively. Realizing that communication is a two-way street is paramount. God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason. Being able to listen to what someone wants, and then offer suggestions on how we help fill those wants and needs is the most important skill anyone can possess. Knowing when an email or text message will suffice, and when you need to pick up the phone, or walk across campus to see someone face-to-face only comes with building a relationship with each person you work with (or for).
 
With someone who has two children, how have you managed to have a good work/life balance over the years? What advice would you have for those struggling with this?
My wife and kids have come to accept the times throughout the years when I can or can’t get away. Work cannot always “win.” One way I accomplish this is to leave my computer at the office every time I can. It’s easy because I only “commute” two miles from our home. 
 
Claudia and I have been together for more than 32 years now. She is the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Having the realization that I have to work to live, rather than living to work, keeps me centered. 
 
Also, we should not be defined as a publicist, teacher, artist, stock broker, or whatever our occupation may be. Being a well-rounded individual really is important to guard against burn out. Sure, there are times when I “work” 60-70 hours per week, but I’m not working on high steel – 300 feet in the air – or saving lives like an ER physician. Realize that at the least common dominator, I’m getting paid to publicize, watch and report on games and student-athletes, is a great way to understand truly how great our profession is.
 
What are your outside interest/hobbies?
It’s definitely not an “outside” interest - but knowing what is truly important. More than anything, I love spending time with my wife and our (grown) children. I love being outside, going on hikes, now that my knees and Achilles have made running an occasional, rather than daily pursuit. We all can be more efficient in what we do, and we all can make the time for what we truly need to do.
 
I’ve always loved reading. I prefer a well-written book or long form magazine article to watching sports on TV, believe it or not. I’d rather read about sports in the 40s, 50s, 60s or 70s – when most professional athletes were guys that lived down the street and had off-season jobs, that ones who were surrounded by “handlers” and did not interact with the common man. 
 
Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “Wait Till Next Year” and the “Johnny U” biography are ones I revisit as well as anything written by Terry Pluto and Joe Posnanski – especially their pieces on times gone by – dominate my sports reading. Claudia is also a voracious reader and she has shared so many wonderful authors and titles with me, which helps me to expand my knowledge and outlook.
 
We love travel, spending time in the water at the ocean and walking on the beach. Most of what we enjoy involves “unplugging” – although we do enjoy a good movie. My wife and I also love live music. Our first “real” date was an R.E.M concert in November 1986. Through the years, we’ve been fortunate to see so many of our favorite recording artists in large and small venues throughout the Triangle area of North Carolina.
 
What are some ways that you carve out family and leisure time?
One of Claudia’s best pieces of advice is, “you usually don’t regret the things you do, but the ones you don’t.” Try not to miss opportunities in life. At some point in time, next time won’t be available –whether it be a chance to visit with a friend or relative, or see Neil Young in concert.
 
Having two children who were involved in sports growing up also provided a chance to be a rec team coach (baseball/softball) and parent/observer. Our daughter played club and school volleyball in middle and high school, then helped keep the libero sheet at Campbell for us her last two years of high school before heading off to college at UNCW. Our son Oliver played baseball and football on the rec level before getting into golf. During his high school years, he sold programs at our football games, and is now a freshman in the professional golf management program at CU. I’ve always been a willing participant in sports, and have a few good skills –like being able to throw a batting practice strike, and keep a tennis rally going Now, whenever I have the chance to play a few holes with Oliver, he’s able to give me tips on keeping the ball where I can find it.
  
Do you have a professional development tip you could provide?
More than anything, be efficient, kind, patient and learn when to hold your tongue. Those are traits that I value. I’ve honestly learned something from everyone I’ve worked for, and one of those is to hire the “right person” – regardless of their experience or knowledge. If you find someone who is a good person, sharp and willing to put in the time to learn and excel, then that’s a great hire. 
 
In and out of work, always try to find a way to say “how” rather than “no” whenever you can. So many times we are unable to do something at the particular moment. If you communicate effectively with those around you, they can often understand timing needs.
 
Finally, the job can’t always “win.” Even for a young professional who doesn’t have a spouse or children to consider, getting away from the business whenever possible to do something unrelated makes you much better at what you do. Many of the ideas I’ve had have come while I was jogging, mowing the grass, walking in the woods. Getting away from any job mentally makes us all much better at what we do.