College Sports Information Directors of America

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Tim Bourret – Clemson University (retired)
2019 CoSIDA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient

by Philip Sikes, Communications Director for Clemson University Student Affairs

I was sitting at home one night in late March when I saw an email come across my phone from Tim Bourret. Not an uncommon occurrence, mind you, but this one was a little different. He asked if I would be interested in writing a story on his career to be used in conjunction with the CoSIDA Lifetime Achievement Award he’s set to receive in June.
 
The answer was a resounding yes, by the way. How in the heck do you turn down that honor?
 
But the more I thought about how he worded the request, I wasn’t all that comfortable with what he was asking. He wanted me to edit and update a previous column I published for ClemsonTigers.com in 2017 from the day he was inducted into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame.
 
A rehashed story to summarize a lifetime of achievement for a legend in the sports information industry? Not a chance, I thought. I was determined to take my time and properly reflect on his more than 40 years of impact — impact to not only Clemson Athletics, but also to one small branch of his rather large SID family tree.
 
 
I first met Bourret when I was a Clemson senior still trying to find my way in the spring of 2002. I had no clue what I was going to do for a career until I took a class entitled “Sports Information and Event Management.” Going into it, I didn’t really know sports information departments existed. Through a stroke of fate, one day Tim attended my class and gave a guest presentation.
 
I knew Tim by voice, quickly connecting the dots that he was Clemson’s longtime radio analyst for men’s basketball. But, I didn’t know sports information director was his day job. One thing led to another and after a flood of emails from a 22-year-old kid with a genuine interest in sports, he agreed to have me complete a 400-hour internship with his office.
 
Fifteen of the most wonderful years of my life followed, much of it working under the man whom to this day I consider my greatest mentor. I was fortunate to serve as the men’s basketball SID from 2005-17, which wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for the incredible trust Tim showed by elevating me to that post at age 25.
 
Together, we shared endless memories, from thrilling games in Littlejohn Coliseum and hosting ESPN College GameDay to ACC road trips and the frenzy of “March Madness.” The most surreal moment came in February 2008 when I was paired with my mentor to handle the radio broadcast duties with our regular play-by-play announcer out due to a death in his family. Talk about the thrill of a lifetime … oh, and it didn’t hurt we witnessed history as the Tigers stormed back from 20 down in the second half to win at Maryland.
 
Tim is one of the most selfless individuals I had the privilege of being around. My last few years in the profession, I spent a lot of time around Tim working with the football program and promoting its rise to prominence under Dabo Swinney. In 2016, when Deshaun Watson was named a Heisman Trophy finalist for a second time, he asked me to go in his place to experience it. What a humbling honor. A few weeks later, we were both in awe as Swinney’s team achieved the pinnacle of college football by claiming the school’s second National Championship.
 
Nothing was more gratifying than seeing Tim inducted into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame a couple of summers ago in Orlando. Despite the fact I made a difficult to decision to move on from the profession a few weeks prior, it was very meaningful for me to be able to attend the ceremony and celebrate his amazing achievement.
 
Tim announced his retirement in January 2018 after 40 football seasons as sports information director. From 1989 to 2013, he was assistant athletic director in charge of overseeing the office. For years, I saw firsthand the legendary work ethic and service-first demeanor with which he operated. Most of the lessons I learned about working with people and handling frequent requests from the media came from Tim.
 
While he formally retired July 1 of last year, he hasn’t seemed to slow down. Part of the impetus for retiring when he did was because of the opportunity in front of him to work with NBC Sports as a statistician for its coverage of the PGA TOUR. Yes, Tim is known for all the statistical nuggets one can think of when it comes to football, basketball and baseball. But a lesser-known fact may be that perhaps his biggest enjoyment came from working with Clemson’s golf program.
 
NBC Sports and its producer, Tommy Roy — a longtime friend of Tim’s — needed someone to pair in the booth with commentator Peter Jacobsen. Someone who could provide unmatched statistical and noteworthy knowledge of each event’s participants. On top of that, NBC was going to fly him to and from the tournaments and provide lodging at each destination.
 
Ask anyone and it sounds like a pretty sweet gig. Ask Tim Bourret and it sounds like a dream retirement scenario.
 
For the past year-and-a-half, Tim has matriculated to PGA events across the country and abroad, even working prestigious international events such as the British Open and Ryder Cup. He was on site at East Lake Golf Club last fall when Tiger Woods returned to victory by winning the Tour Championship, with the unforgettable image of fans flocking behind him to catch a glimpse of the final putt.
 
All the while, he has found a way to stay involved at Clemson. Yes, he continues to provide color commentary for men’s basketball games. He’s well past 1,000 total broadcasts at this point — a milestone we celebrated in 2015 ironically enough following a basketball game against his alma mater, Notre Dame. He also remains active supporting Swinney’s football program when his schedule allows.
 
So, congratulations to Tim on a lifetime of achievement in a profession that has meant so much to all the branches of his SID family tree. But more than that, thank you to the man who paid it forward by setting the ultimate example of what it meant to operate with an unwavering commitment to a profession.