College Sports Information Directors of America

Mathieu Tanguay has held the position of Communications Manager/Sports at the Université Laval in Quebec City, Quebec, his alma mater, for eight years. The Laval varsity teams are known as the Rouge et Or (French: Red and Gold). Tanguay is one of two SIDs supporting and promoting the nationally-recognized Rouge et Or athletic program. With outstanding facilities and a long record of national achievement, Laval hosts numerous Canadian "nationals" (national championships). Tanguay has been a member of the organizing committee of various Canadian university championships held at Laval University (football - Vanier Cup 2018; women's volleyball 2018; women's soccer 2014; women's rugby 2013; and men's soccer 2012).

He graduated from Laval in 2001 with a degree in communications and journalism. Prior to returning to his alma mater to work in athletic communications, Tanguay spent 10 years as a journalist and radio host while serving as a music columnist for Summum magazine.

 
Your football team is known for its great successes and is the most decorated in the history of the sport in Canada with its 10 Vanier Cup victories (1999, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016 and last year). Tell us more about the many sports Laval offers and what your responsibilities in athletic communications are? What have you enjoyed the most about your Université Laval work?
We offer 15 different sports and have a total of 18 Rouge et Or (French for our nickname Red and Gold) teams. We have two SIDs at Laval and we are splitting duties to cover all of these teams as best as we can. Media relations, social media, website updates, writing recaps and press releases, organizing press conferences, strategic planning, etc. The task list is pretty diverse, as it is the case for many SID's.

At Laval, we are lucky to have first-class facilities that have been home to many nationals (championships). In fact, I'm in my eighth year as an SID and during that span, we have hosted 13 nationals in different sports where I've worked as the communications and media relations specialist on the organizing committee. Organizing these events is a lot of work, but the end result, especially when the home team is winning it all, makes this job really exciting.  

What have been the most memorable and/or rewarding moments of your career?
Having been chosen as the communications manager for Team Canada at the 2017 International University Sports Federation (FISU) Summer Universiade in Taipei, Taiwan, is definitely a career highlight so far! Apart from the Olympics, there is no bigger sporting event than the Universiades, as 10,000 athletes representing 200 countries are participating. Entering the stadium for the opening ceremony with the Canadian delegation is something I'll remember forever! I was really proud of the body of work that our amazing comms team accomplished during these games.

 

We are asking each Recognition Week featured member to provide a professional development tip to share. What is yours?
It's all about the relationships that you create. And it may sound silly, but communication is key. In this day and age, we write emails, we send texts, we contact student-athletes on social media, but nothing will ever replace a real conversation face-to-face. It's not on your iPhone that you'll create a bond with coaches and student-athletes. Go talk to them as much as you can!

Is there an achievement that you are most proud of, professionally or personally?
My two daughters, Naomi and Alice, are without a doubt what I'm most proud of! It's not always easy to balance life and work, but to come back home to my girls and wife Stéphanie is always a great moment. Most of my time outside of work is devoted to my family.

 

We all know the stresses and pressures that come from working in college athletics with the deadlines and hours. How do you have fun at work?
I'm lucky to have an amazing comms team at Laval. People who are not only great professionals, but who also are fun to hang with. This makes an enormous difference considering the important amount of time that we spend at work! I also use pretty much every lunch hour to play soccer and ice hockey with colleagues or to work out at the gym, which is a treat in our amazing facilities.

What advice would you give someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
Be proud of what you do. Most SID's can relate to this: we put a ton of hours doing our best for the program, yet we don't always get the recognition we think we deserve. In that case, you have to be able to motivate yourself and be proud of the accomplishments you achieve, whatever they are.

You've become invested in CoSIDA, helping organize the Canadian members at the convention and getting involved with CoSIDA/U Sports issues. How important is this organization for Canadian SIDs and what impact/professional development opportunities have you gained as a result of being a CoSIDA member?
As a CoSIDA member, I find that the opportunity to compare what we do in Canada with anyone in the United States, whether it be Division 1, 2 or 3, is an invaluable tool. We all face the same challenges, so to share our knowledge on some of these issues is really interesting. The CoSIDA convention is also a unique opportunity for every Canadian SID to meet, as we don't have these opportunities often in our country. I've been to four conventions so far, and I always came back with fresh ideas to incorporate to what we do, in order to maintain our quest for excellence.  

 

Do you have any key mentors or people who deeply influenced who you are, what you believe in and what you're committed to in your work and life?
Professionally, I try to learn from every colleague I work with. I believe everyone has something interesting to offer, as long as you take the time to discover it. My wife, Stéphanie, is also a great confidant who knows how to lift me up when I'm down. Obviously, without her support, doing this job would be really tough! And, my parents are the ones responsible for who I am today. They are hard workers who never gave up in face of adversity, and I'd like to think that I've acquired that mentality because of them.

Who is the most important person at work you talk to during your day?
That would be my SID colleague Frédéric Bhérer who's new to the job this year, replacing long-time SID Stéphane Jobin who took a leave of absence to accept a one-year contract elsewhere on campus. Having so much work on our plate, the communication needs to be fluid for us to be effective.

What might (someone) be surprised to know about you? What's something we would never guess about you?
I'm a great karaoke singer!

Do you have any favorite sayings or quotes that you try to either live by or implement in your professional/personal life?
We are not doing open-heart surgery out there. That's something I like to say to put things in perspective when the job gets a bit tougher during nationals season, for example. I'm proud of what I do at work, but the sun is going to rise again tomorrow, no matter what I do!