College Sports Information Directors of America

NEW ROCHELLE, NY – Brian Beyrer, Senior Associate Athletics Director for Communications at Iona College, received the Mike Cohen "Good Guy" Award from the Met Basketball Writers Assn. on Wednesday, April 25, during the 85th NIT/MBWA All-Met Haggerty Awards Dinner.

The Haggerty Dinner, held this year at the Westchester Marriott in Tarrytown, NY, is the longest running media-managed college basketball awards program in the United States.

Beyrer is in his 17th year with Iona College Athletics. He was named Director of College and Athletic Communications as well as elevated to Senior Associate AD in August 2016. As such, he is in charge of the public relations efforts for Iona College in the Office of College Marketing and Communications in addition to oversight of athletic communications.

In his athletics role, Beyrer oversees all communications and media relations efforts for Iona's NCAA Division I athletic programs. He serves as department spokesman, and is the chief editor and publisher for all athletic publications and media releases, and is the primary media contact for men's basketball. During the summer of 2002 and again in the winter of 2006-07, Beyrer was responsible for creation and design of the new Iona Athletics website.

In addition, Beyrer spearheaded Iona's partnership with ESPN via its ESPN3 School Productions Program. Iona Athletics and the Mass Communication Department teamed to produce men's and women's basketball games on ESPN3 for the first time in February 2016. He was also involved in the redesign of athletics branding in summer 2013.

Beyrer was named Associate AD for Athletic Communications in the Summer of 2008, after spending three years as an Assistant AD and four years as Assistant Sports Information Director. In 2006, Beyrer volunteered his time with the New York Mets Media Relations Department during the National League Division and Championship Series.

Beyrer has participated on numerous committees and organizations at Iona College, in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and at the national level. Most notably at Iona, he has been a member of Iona's Alumni Board of Directors from 2011-present and the college's Staff and Administrative Council from 2012-14. At the MAAC level, he has been a part of the league's marketing directors, sports information directors and technology committees since their formation. He was also a member of the men's soccer championship committee in 2009-10 and has served on the women's soccer committee since 2010.

A member of the College Sports Information Directors of America and the U.S. Basketball Writers Assn., Beyrer is a 2001 graduate of Iona. A native of Cortlandt Manor, NY, Beyrer and his wife Kelly reside in Port Chester, NY.

The MBWA's "Good Guy" Award is named in memory of Mike Cohen, former head of sports information at NBC Sports and Manhattan College, and former publicity director at Yonkers Raceway. He also was a consultant to Fordham University and operated his own public relations firm prior to his untimely passing in 1988 at the age of 44. Anyone involved in college basketball in the Met area is eligible for this award; the only criteria is that they — male or female — be a "Good Guy."
 

MBWA Good Guy Award History