College Sports Information Directors of America

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This feature is part of our series of profiles showcasing members throughout the CoSIDA membership during the celebration of CoSIDA Membership Recognition Week for 2021. See more features at CoSIDA.com/ThankYourSID.


Chris Forman – Purdue University, Associate Strategic Communications Director / Director of Social Media

by Brandon Jones – CoSIDA Intern

Purdue is the fourth career stop for Chris Forman, who serves as the Boilermaker’s Associate Strategic Communications Director and Director of Social Media. He is the primary media relations director for men’s basketball and men’s golf. Forman has been at Purdue since August of 2013. He previously served at Navy (2004-13), the University of Massachusetts (2002-04) and St. Cloud State (2000-02). He was a basketball student-athlete at Central College (Iowa), graduating in 1998.
 
 
What are your favorite aspects of being the men's basketball and golf SID?
CF: My favorite aspects of athletic communications are the interactions with the student-athletes and how genuine and appreciative they are of everything we do. I am fortunate here at Purdue to work with two outstanding programs that have head coaches that put their trust in me to help build the brand of not only the team, but of their student-athletes. Getting to know the student-athletes and tell their stories and accomplishments have been the best part of this job in the nearly 20 years that I have been in this profession.
 
Your bio mentions that golf is one of your main hobbies. How much does that passion help you when working with the men's golf team?
CF: I wouldn’t say it helps me, but it’s definitely an added bonus when I can pick up some pointers from the coaches or student-athletes. I travel with the team to some events when basketball is not interfering and it’s amazing what advice you can pick up during a practice round! Of course, being able to travel also helps my communication with them, following a round or competition or when promoting them.
 
 
As you made the transition from Navy to Purdue, how different was your role when you arrived at Purdue in 2013?
CF: It’s still communications and public relations, but my role changed quite a bit when I arrived at Purdue in Aug. 2013. While I was at Navy, I had several sports under my watch and it provided me a great opportunity to really get into the profession and work on time-management skills.
 
Here at Purdue, I only have men’s basketball and men’s golf, but what I learned at Navy I was able to take here to Purdue and apply it. It’s just a different kind of work and finding new ways to promote your teams. My time at Navy was incredible, and am so thankful to the people there who helped shape me and prepare me for what Purdue had to offer.
 
Before you became an SID, you were a sports reporter/editor in Iowa. What are your keys to being a successful SID for the past two decades after transitioning from that media job?
CF: The key to being a successful SID, and I think in any profession, is about building relationships and communication. I have been very lucky to work with and be under amazing people at every place I have been - from Tom Nelson and Anne Abicht at St. Cloud State, to Nick Joos at UMass, Scott Strasemeier at Navy and now Tom Schott and Patrick Crawford at Purdue. They have all valued relationships above anything else.
 
The one thing that they have all instilled in me is to have a passion for your school and what you do. If you don’t have passion for your job, you won’t enjoy it and you won’t last very long.
 
 
What is one key professional skill for aspiring SIDs and why are you choosing it? 
CF: I think the biggest skill set to develop for any aspiring SID is time management. You have to understand what is important, what needs to be done first and what can wait, and how to attack the tasks that are needed to be done. And don’t be afraid to ask for help if it gets to be too much.
 
We are all teachers and we can all develop the next wave of great SIDs if we give them the guidance, understanding and know-how of what this job entails. It is hard work, but it’s incredibly rewarding if you put in the time and energy and want to have a career in this industry.
 
Let’s talk more about this next wave of SIDs. As we look to build our next generation of athletic communications and creative professionals, what advice do you have for young professionals looking to start their careers?
CF: The best advice I have for young professionals looking to get a start in sports information is to start early. The longer you are in this profession, the more people you will meet, the more experience you will gain and the more you get your name out there.
 
I made the “mistake” of waiting too long and didn’t get into the profession until after college. I worked for three months under the great Larry Happel at Central College (Iowa), my alma mater. Larry taught me everything he knew in a span of three months, but I wish I would have gotten in right away and learned all that from the start of college. Athletic communications has changed so much in the 23 years since I started at Central that every day is something new, so it’s important to get as much experience as you can.
 
One other thing I would mention that is getting lost - develop great relationships with your local media. They are the ones that will be with you every day, in good seasons and bad. When you have a bad relationship or mistrust with your local media, that can affect your program in  so many ways (in terms of tickets, donors, fan support), so working with them and being transparent with them is something that I take a lot of pride in.