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David Worlock – NCAA, Director of Media Coordination and Statistics

CoSIDA Hall of Fame Class of 2020
Presented to CoSIDA members who have made outstanding contributions to the field of sports information in intercollegiate athletics. Minimum 15 years in the profession. Voted on by current CoSIDA Hall of Fame Members and the Special Awards Committee.

There are three categories for Hall of Fame nominations: University Division (NCAA DI), College Division (NCAA DII, DIII, NAIA, Two-year colleges and Canadian/U Sports) and Veterans (retirees/deceased/ former members who have left the sports information profession). All CURRENT professionals shall be nominated in the University and College Divisions, while all other nominees (retirees, deceased and those who have left the profession) shall be part of the Veterans nomination process.

Note: CoSIDA Hall of Fame members of the Class of 2020 and Class of 2021 were celebrated in pre-recorded awards shows during the #CoSIDA21 Virtual Convention. Click here to watch the show. Below is the full interview with David Worlock with expanded answers and thank yous.
 


by Jeff Hodges – North Alabama, Senior Associate Athletic Director – Communications
CoSIDA Secretary/CoSIDA Special Awards Committee

An obsession with March Madness as a youngster turned into a dream job and a hall of fame career for Dave Worlock.
 
Now in his 15th year at the NCAA and his eighth as director of media coordination and statistics, Worlock has been selected for induction into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame in honor of his 27 years of impressive contributions to college athletics.
 
A journalism major who wrote for the student newspaper at Henderson State (Ark.) University, Worlock was introduced to the athletic communications field by HSU sports information director Steve Eddington. And, at age 23, Worlock would become Eddington’s successor.
 
After eight years at HSU, Worlock had the opportunity to make a move to the NCAA where he would become a primary figure in the annual coordination of March Madness as the NCAA’s director of media coordination and statistics.
 
“It really is a dream come true," Worlock said. “My obsession with March Madness dates back to when I was a young boy. I can distinctly remember watching tournament games, seeing these people in suits sitting at center court and wondering, “Who are these people, what are they doing, and how do I take their seat one day?”
 
“To be able to live out that fantasy is something I cherish every day,” he added. “To see how the evaluation of teams begins on day one of the season and regularly speak to committee members about the strengths of teams throughout the year is something I truly enjoy. Then to be in the room and watch the selection, seeding and bracketing process unfold is like a second Christmas for me. I love every minute of that.
 
Finally, to play a small role in the execution of an event that brings out so much passion and drama and never fails to deliver in those areas is simply awesome.”
 
Worlock said the CoSIDA Hall of Fame selection has come, in part, to having the opportunity to work with so many outstanding individuals in the field. He had received his 25-Year Award from CoSIDA in 2018, marking his long-time commitment to athletic media relations.
 
 
“It’s the highest of honor because of what this organization has meant over the years to those of us fortunate enough to work in athletics communications,” Worlock said. “I firmly believe you are a reflection of who you associate yourself with, so most of the credit goes to the past and present members of the NCAA’s media coordination and statistics staff. Jim Wright took a chance on me and brought me on board at the NCAA in 2001 and every day I try to see to it that he doesn’t regret that decision.
 
The current staff is as good as it gets. As if it isn’t great enough to be able to do the work I’ve always wanted to do, but to top it off I get to do it alongside a great group of professionals. I could never thank them enough. I’m receiving this award because of them.”
 
Worlock said he has been particularly touched by the responses from the staff members and student-athletes that he worked with at Henderson State about his Hall of Fame selection.
 
“When the announcement was made about my Hall of Fame induction, the calls, texts and social media messages were overwhelming. The ones from former student-athletes were particularly touching though, because I worked on their behalf and their appreciation of those efforts was very moving,” he noted.
 
Sean Sraziscar, a 30-year member of the NCAA media coordination and statistics department, says Worlock has earned his place in the hall of fame.
 
“I’ve had the opportunity to work with Dave throughout his NCAA career and one thing you learn quickly is he is what you see. He’s an honest person who wears his emotions on his sleeve,” Straziscar said. “You won’t find a person who is more passionate about the work he does. He is a person who takes the time to learn and stay informed and ahead of the game. Dave is hands off and listen first approach is welcomed by our staff. One thing for sure is he always has our staff’s back and will defend those around him to the end. His respect for others shines - not only professionally, but on a personal level too.”
 
Current Jacksonville State (Ala.) Athletic Director Greg Seitz has known Worlock for his entire 27-year professional career, since the two met for the first game of 1993 football season with JSU hosting Henderson State.
 
“His first year at Henderson State was my first year at Jacksonville State and we opened the 1993 football season against each other,” Seitz said. “I’ve since been fortunate to serve on the Men’s Final Four Media Coordination team for the last 12 years, and I’m always so impressed with the incredible job he does in running one of the biggest sporting events in the country. I’m always so impressed with David’s work ethic and his ability to remember and recall information on specific games, teams, scores and so many other statistics.
 
“I know for a fact that “selection week” is his favorite time of the year, and he truly is a great resource with all of his knowledge for the men’s basketball committee,” Seitz added. “He watches more basketball than any person I know. I can tell you the NCAA Basketball Tournament is better because of Dave Worlock."
 
Worlock was born in Herkimer, N.Y., about 60 miles east of Syracuse in upstate New York, but he spent most of his youth in Augsburg, Germany, where his father was stationed with the United States military.
 
During a brief stay in the U.S. in 1975, Worlock recalled the excitement about Syracuse advancing to the Final Four. Then a 4-year-old, he was hooked on March Madness. While in Germany, Worlock used to set his alarm to 3 a.m. so he could wake up to the watch the NCAA Tournament championship game televised on the Armed Forces Network.
 
Worlock enrolled at  Henderson State because the father of a girl he was dating in Germany became head of the ROTC at Ouachita Baptist University, which is also in Arkadelphia.
 
“I looked into it and gave it a shot, figuring I would be a total stranger on any campus I went to,” Worlock said. “Obviously it worked out well for me.”
 
As a writer for the student newspaper, Worlock caught Eddington’s eye and moved into the sports information office.
 
“Steve called, we met and I was offered a work study position. I think I always wanted to be an SID. I just didn’t know about the profession,” Worlock said. “Steve became my mentor and he and his wife, Vanna, became a second set of parents for me. I learned how to communicate and develop good work habits. There were late nights and weekend work, but the work itself was always enjoyable.”
 
After graduating from Henderson State in 1992, Worlock became  the sports editor at a small newspaper in Wynne, Ark., where he would meet his future wife, Andrea, through a mutual friend. After 14 months in Wynne, Worlock was hired as Henderson State’s sports information director and would stay in that role from 1993-2001.
 
“I had gotten to know the AD and the coaches through three years as a work study student, so they were confident in my abilities to step in for Steve,” Worlock said.
 
He was then hired as assistant director of statistics at the NCAA, where his first event was working the 2002 Indoor Track and Field Championships in Fayetteville, Ark.
 
Worlock said the opportunity to move to the NCAA was almost accidental, but was meant to be for both he and Andrea.
 
“In 2001, two positions on the statistics staff opened at the NCAA. I found out about it by roaming around the Job Seekers room at the CoSIDA Convention in San Diego,” he said. “I wasn’t actively looking for a new job; I was actually just killing time while a friend and member of the Job Seekers committee was talking to an intern looking for a job. I noticed the NCAA listing and decided to dust off my resume and apply. I felt like it was a long shot but because I was still happy at HSU, I had nothing to lose.
 
I landed the position and we moved to Indianapolis in September. Andrea and I met people though happy hours and other social gatherings. A person in the NCAA accounting office remembered Andrea had that background and reached out to her when a position became available. She started at the NCAA a year after I did.”
 
Worlock and Andrea, an assistant director of accounting for the NCAA, and their sons Nicholas (10) and Adam (8) live in Avon, Ind., a suburb of Indianapolis.
 
After becoming media coordinator for the College World Series in 2004 and 2005, Worlock was promoted to coordinator for the NCAA basketball tournament.
 
Worlock said a lot has changed since he joined the NCAA staff, but the quality of the individuals at the national office has not.
 
“When I started in 2001, there wasn’t a media coordination staff. The group in statistics handled media coordination for several of our major championships such as the Frozen Four and College World Series, but it was strictly on a voluntary basis,” Worlock said. “Our job performance rating, nor our job description, was based on anything related to executing the media operations of a championship. Now it’s an integral part of the function of our group.
 
“We are on site for about 24 championships and working closely with the hosts to coordinate media-related aspects of all 90 of our championships,” Worlock added. “From a statistics standpoint, technology has allowed us to advance to where we are today. We often reflect and laugh about some of the resistance we received when we announced we were updating Division I basketball stats on a daily basis; now, if the stats aren’t updated by the next morning, we are getting calls and emails.”
 
Worlock said there is a strong link between members of his staff and SIDs.
 
"Much like the SIDs are the Swiss Army knives of an athletic department, the media coordination and statistics staff is much the same for the NCAA’s championships staff," he said. "There are 16 of us and we consider ourselves to be the SIDs of the national office. Not only are there similarities with the work that is being done on campuses and conference offices, but the vast majority of us have previously served as SIDs. We have to be strong in the same areas where an SID has to excel: organization, communication, thinking strategically. If you don’t have those traits, you can’t work in this profession.
 
The list of staff members in the media coordination and statistics department has not seen a lot of change over the years - and Worlock says that is also a plus.
 
“As for our staff, we are very proud that our team has, on average, the highest seniority in terms of years of service at the NCAA. Of our 16 members, 11 of us have been on staff for at least 11 years, including Sean (Straziscar), who reached the 30-year milestone last fall, and Mark Bedics, who just reached 22 years in March,” he noted. “The rest of our team has been with the NCAA between 5-7 years. The great thing is, there isn’t an ounce of complacency from any of us. We’re always willing to adapt to new ways to better serve our membership and the media that covers our championships.”
 
Worlock says the NCAA staff relies heavily on the work of SIDs on campus on a daily basis, and in particular to make March Madness a success.
 
“Very much like the way SIDs are the behind-the-scenes heroes on campus and at conference offices, the group of SIDs who come to the Final Four every year are a crucial part of execution of what we do each year,” he said. “The coaches and players have to take part in several interviews for five days and that team of SIDs has them where they need to be with minute-by-minute detail. If I am pulled away for whatever reason, I rest easy knowing that the three members of my team (J.D. Hamilton, Jenn Rodgers and Lauren McLaughlin) and the media coordination team, consisting of 10 SIDs from across the country, have everything taken care of.”