College Sports Information Directors of America

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Steve Flegel – Whitworth University, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information

CoSIDA 25-Year Award

by Bill Lamberty, Montana State Assistant AD - Athletics Communications

Steve Flegel, who is the recipient of a CoSIDA 25-Year Award for his long-time commitment and service, has never actually been in two places at one time, but to many of his peers in Whitworth Athletics it seems so.

"It's no exaggeration to say that while he's working a football game in the press box he's also keeping an eye on the soccer game (on an adjacent field), then after football packs everything up and goes to volleyball, all in the same afternoon and evening," one former student assistant said of Whitworth's long-time Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information. "And he does that all the time."

Another adds, "Steve is always calm when handling high-pressure situations and knows how to fix every problem having to do with computer stat systems. He made sure all the student workers were doing their jobs, but still having fun."

Flegel has positively affected every corner and crevice of Pirates Athletics in the last three-and-a-half decades, normal for a NCAA Division III sports information professional, but Flegel's presence at Whitworth began as a member of the Pirates swim team in the late 1980s. He earned a BA in psychology with a religion studies minor from Whitworth in 1989, and a BA in English with a language arts minor in 1993. He then achieved a Whitworth hat trick by earning his M.Ed in administrative leadership in 2013.
 

From the beginning of his undergraduate career through his joining the staff in a full-time capacity, Flegel maintained his affiliation with Whitworth and his allegiance to Pirate Athletics.

He worked as a stringer for the Spokane Spokesman-Review in 1993-94, then a year later became Whitworth's Assistant Aquatics Director and Assistant Swim Coach. He held the aquatics position until 1997 and coached swimming until 1999, but in 1995 landed the role for which he had prepared by becoming Whitworth's Sports Information Director. In 1999 Flegel also began a 12-year stint as Northwest Conference Information Director.

His quarter-century in the Whitworth Sports Information role, which officially became an Assistant Athletic Director position in 2004, has seen him publicize the careers of many legendary WU teams and individuals, including several Pirate student-athletes who later joined him as peers. Jon Bosh played soccer at Whitworth, has worked on the program's athletic training staff for more than a decade, and says Flegel's work ethic sets him apart.

"Steve is by far the hardest working person in our department," Bosh noted. "He shows servant leadership every day by his thoughts and actions. I appreciate how much he works to make sure all of our sports have a voice on each of our platforms."

Flegel honed his writing as a Whitworth student and during his time at the Spokesman-Review. Whitworth baseball coach CJ Perry, who also played for the Pirates as an undergraduate during Flegel's time as the school's SID, said that skill shines brightly.

"Something that speaks volumes about the quality of Steve's work is that I have had fellow conference coaches constantly commenting on his work, the quality of his writing and the detail of his post-game write-ups," Perry said.

Flegel has shared his talents for organization and communication far and wide, working more than 20 NCAA post-season events in a variety of roles and serving on statistics advisory committees as the NCAA Division III representative to benefit the entire sports information profession. The Bay area product served on three different CoSIDA committees, including a term on the organization's Board of Directors as the College Division Representative from 2012-2016.

His work has drawn notice from his peers. Flegel earned the Northwest Conference's initial Jack Sareault Award as SID of the Year in 2006, and twice since (2013, 2019). He was also named the American Volleyball Coaches Association Grant Burger Award winner for the NCAA Division III Region in 2006.

Eastern Washington SID Dave Cook, also a legend in the region and the profession, calls working with Flegel "a pleasure. Steve is an ultimate professional in our business and here in the Inland Northwest, and it's been a joy to work with him on occasion. He's friendly and approachable, and I absolutely love going to Whitworth and other events to see Steve's smile and his calm demeanor. We're lucky to have him."

After a quarter century Flegel's professionalism is also keenly recognized and acutely appreciated on his own campus.
"Steve is always professional no matter the circumstances, but it's refreshing that he is a true fan of Pirate athletics," Perry said. "He always seems enthusiastic to be at Merkel Field, and I always appreciate the energy and insightfulness that he brings to the field."

For all of his excellent work, those associated with Whitworth athletics always return to the Flegel as a person. "Steve is genuine and kind," Bosh said. "He has always been very good at seeing things from a different perspective than many of us. He continues to be an advocate for his profession and use his talents to help the community and conference."

And for one of the previously mentioned student assistants, the personal touch is something that really matters. "He always remembers personal details and asks how things were going, even when he's so busy."

Even if he really is in only one place at a time.