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Bonnie Johnson (NCAA) – 25-Year Award
by Diane Nordstrom, University of Wisconsin Associate Director of Athletic Communications/Chair, CoSIDA Special Awards Committee
Johnson and her husband TJ at the top of a cathedral in Siena, Italy.
For an SID, dealing with statistics is a necessary part of the job – maybe not their favorite part but one they have to do.
But for the people who work in the media coordination and statistics department at the NCAA, statistics are their daily business.
“I think what we do is like a puzzle, and we’re putting the pieces in a bit at a time until the season wraps up and the puzzle is complete,” says
Bonnie Johnson, an associate director for media coordination and statistic at the NCAA. “We start with the schedules, work to ensure they all reconcile, solicit rosters, get into the season and track on all these games, processing files daily, working on RPIs, and score reporting, until the season wraps up and you have thousands of game files that have created the record of that year. While it’s pretty much the same stuff, different year, we all enjoy what we do.”
Johnson is one of three members of the NCAA staff who will receive 25-Year Awards at this year’s College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Convention in National Harbor, Maryland, in June. Joining her from the NCAA staff who have worked in athletic communications for a quarter of a century are David Worlock, Director of Media Coordination and Statistics, and Sean Straziscar, associate director of the department.
From the start of each season through the national championships, Johnson and her co-workers are busy on a daily basis, updating statistics, RPIs, scores and more. They know SIDs, coaches, media and fans rely on those updates so they realize they have to get the job done.
But sometimes getting those updates done is out of their control.
“The worst part is the weather-related issues with cancellations and rescheduled games,” explained Johnson. “I worry that we’re not alerted to games that are rescheduled, and if the results aren’t submitted by either team, they’re not included in our data. I probably worry about that more than I should since it’s out of my control!”
As a former sports information director, Johnson understands what the profession needs from the NCAA office.
“Nearly all of us were SIDs before coming here – we ‘get’ it,” said Johnson. “I love the connections we forge with SIDs. Some days you just wrap it up and think, ‘that was a good one.’ We didn’t save someone, we didn’t find a cure for anything, but it was just a day where you felt that you were able to help out.”
Johnson began her career as a sports reporter for the
Florida Times-Union before creating the sports information office at the University of North Florida. After 12 years with the Ospreys, the hours and travel compelled Johnson to look at a job opening at the NCAA.
“I loved working with our student-athletes and coaches,” Johnson says of her time at North Florida. “UNF started out in the NAIA and moved to Division II while I was there. The travel hours were long, bussing everywhere, getting back to campus at 4 a.m. and then heading into the office a few hours later. Focus on a work-life balance wasn’t even a concept and the idea of a job at the NCAA, still working with college sports, but not being on the road as much sounded great!”
Like most SIDs, Johnson’s job with the NCAA has brought lasting memories but also some of the same annoyances that SIDs hear.
“I’m sure this is the same frustration some SIDs share, but the parents who just can’t let their child leave the nest and they call hound you over and over, asking why their daughter didn’t earn All-America honors (we don’t award those), why their son’s name is misspelled on a box score (we didn’t create that game file) – those type of calls where you hang up and think, ‘Man … you’ve got to take a step back,” says Johnson.
In addition to her statistics duties, Johnson also works as the media coordinator for Division I women’s golf, giving her a chance to actually get back on a college campus.
“It’s the one time in my position that I see and work with the student-athletes,” said Johnson. “It’s great to see the championships unfold from the first site visit through to the final media interview when the event wraps up, and to watch the student-athletes showcase their abilities. Watching the winning team hoist the trophy and celebrate with their families and friends are moments that everyone involved has worked to enjoy.”
Growing up in a Navy family, Johnson is used to the diversity of her job. Her family left Florida when she was nine years old to live in Naples, Italy and Rota, Spain.
“I wouldn’t trade those experiences for anything,” said Johnson. “Being able to take a drive to Rome, Florence, Pisa, Assisi, Sorrento, or hop on a boat to Capri or Ischia – it was a whole new world.
“In Spain, the travel took a bit longer, but we were on the beach again so I loved it. Navigating it all without a phone or computer back in those days – you just traveled with Berlitz, visiting other countries while there and learning as you went.”
Johnson learned Italian as a child and Spanish as a teenager and gave her a love for travel – something she shares with her husband Todd (TJ).
“My husband is tired of hearing me always wanting to plan another trip to Italy,” laughed Johnson. “His set line is: ‘I want to see the rest of the world, not just Italy!’”
The pair enjoy traveling light, camping in numerous national parks including Glacier, Rocky Mountain and Acadia. Johnson calls her husband a “roll-with-the-flow guy and is up for anything from camping an hour away to planning a big trip.”
Late in 2016, the two spent Christmas and New Year’s in Italy, taking only large backpacks. Johnson called that trip “perfect.”
Another thing that Johnson learned from growing up overseas and traveling is that things change, including career plans.
“I thought I’d go to college to be a teacher or a veterinarian but I discovered I enjoyed sports writing and was able to move from the newspaper to UNF, my alma mater,” explains Johnson. “We didn’t really have an SID office when I started – I just kind of carved it out, working first with the university relations folks and then handling more of the sports information duties. I was good friends with our baseball coach, Dusty Rhodes, who started the baseball program at UNF. He knew the value an SID held for the department and having someone supporting your efforts like that was invaluable. It’s hard to believe that 25 years have passed.”