College Sports Information Directors of America

25-Year Award
Presented to College Sports Communicators members who have completed 25 years in the athletics communications profession. Vetted and voted on by the Special Awards Committee. 

Marlene Navor — Auburn University Director of Communications - Men’s Basketball

Marlene Navor is in her fourth year as director of communications, primarily working with head coach Bruce Pearl and the Auburn men’s basketball program.

During her first season on The Plains, the Tigers won the SEC regular-season championship, earned the program's first-ever No. 1 ranking in the national polls, claimed a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and had two players go in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft in Jabari Smith (No. 3 overall by the Houston Rockets) and Walker Kessler (No. 22 overall by the Memphis Grizzlies).

In the 2024-25 season, the Tigers went 32-6 and advanced to the NCAA Final Four. 

Navor was originally hired as director of recruiting operations on head women’s basketball Coach Johnnie Harris’ coaching staff. While with the women, she set the brand identity for Coach J and her summer basketball camps as well as grew the team’s social media and recruiting accounts by 10K.

Prior to Auburn, Navor served 11 years as director of athletics communications and creative content at the College of Charleston. Navor was the third-ever sports information director in CofC Athletics history and is one of only four female men’s basketball SIDs at a Power 5 NCAA Division I institution in the country.

Navor’s strength has always been graphic design and having an eye for the visual. She has spent the last 24 years in Division I college athletics working with local and national media outlets including as an assistant media relations director at Texas A&M University under CSC Hall of Famer Alan Cannon. Navor served as the primary contact for both the nationally-ranked women’s basketball and men’s tennis programs for four years (2006-10).

Prior to A&M, Navor was an assistant sports information director at Kansas State University (2003-06) and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2001-03).

Overall, she has handled the media relations efforts for a U.S. Open (tennis) qualifier, five Olympians, eight U.S. Amateur (golf) qualifiers, 13 All-Americans, four John R. Wooden and Naismith National Player of the Year Award finalists, five conference players of the year, six Academic All-Americans, five NBA Draft picks, including two first-rounders in 2022, and 11 current and former WNBA players.

A 2000 graduate of the Edward R. Murrow School of Communication at Washington State University, Navor earned her bachelor’s degree in communication with an emphasis in print journalism and a minor in sport management. She served as a student assistant in the WSU sports information office under CSC Hall of Famer Rod Commons for four years (1997-2000), was a volunteer student assistant in the UTEP sports information office (summer of 1998), and completed an athletic communications internship at the University of Connecticut (2000-01).


 

Jeff Goodman, National College Basketball Analyst: "I've worked with Marlene for the past 20 years, and there's no one better in the industry. She's always available to make sure everything is run smoothly when I come to a game, or do interviews, and you can see that she has complete control of what's going on in the program. She's diligent, hard-working, personable, and just a really good person. Honestly, there aren't any better and I've been around for 25-plus years."

Bruce Pearl, Auburn University Head Basketball Coach: "Marlene Navor plays an integral role in promoting and publicizing the Auburn men’s basketball program. 
 
Marlene’s attention to detail, work ethic and relationships with local and national media members have all contributed to elevating our program. She is respected in the world of college basketball and has been a huge part of our success.
 
We congratulate Marlene on earning her 25-Year Award from the College Sports Communicators. War Eagle!"



Navor on those in the profession making an impact on her 25-year SID career...
"Our profession has grown significantly over the last 25 years as far as membership and evolving with the ever-changing landscape of college athletics. I remember writing press releases and sending them out on the fax machine compared to how we disseminate information today via e-mail and social media platforms. There are also more women and people of color than when I first started in the business back in 1997 as a student assistant. I thank women pioneers such as the late Mary Jo Haverbeck, Chris Anderson, Tammy Boclair, Shelly Poe, Debby Jennings and Barb Kowal, who set the example and paved the way for a lot of us — especially those who aspired to lead an SID office or publicize football or men’s basketball at the highest level. They showed it was achievable and possible.
 
Hats off to some of my early mentors in CSC Hall of Famers Rod Commons (Washington State), the late Tim Tolokan (UConn) and the late Lawrence Fan (Job Seekers Chair) for their influence, wisdom and guidance. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their support and belief in my abilities to have a long and successful career in this field. Grateful to all of my colleagues, coaches and student-athletes at Washington State, UConn, UNLV, Kansas State, Texas A&M, College of Charleston and Auburn. They made all the long hours together and sacrifices worth it, not because of the wins or championships, but being a part of something bigger than ourselves and leaving a mark on each programs’ history. They will always be a part of my extended family and it was an honor to help them achieve their life goals and dreams in sport."
 
Her family acknowledgements…
"Most importantly, I am thankful and blessed to have the love and support of my Ohana (parents, Martin and Maxine, and brothers, Mahlon and Marvin), who helped me achieve my own dreams of graduating college and pursuing my love and passion for sports. I hope I have made them all proud."

Tips for young people in the profession:
"One piece of advice I learned early on in my career was to always stay one step ahead of my head coach and always show them that you care about their program and their student-athletes. My most memorable teams weren’t just the revenue sports, but the Olympic sports like golf, tennis and swimming. It took me almost 20 years to work alongside a high-profile head coach and promote an elite level men’s basketball program. People get so wrapped up with working with football and basketball early in their careers. Find joy in the sports you are currently helping to promote, continue to learn and grow and get better. Believe me, those coaches and student-athletes appreciate your care and efforts. Be patient and continue to dream big. If you put in the hard work and pay your dues, you will eventually get there."
 
More advice on career advancement and drawing the most from where you are…
"It’s not about the logo on your shirt and no one is better than another because of that logo. We all encounter the same challenges and struggles in our profession. Be confident in your abilities and what you bring to the table. Also, be proud of where you are at, no matter if it is mid-major, FCS, Division II, Division III, NAIA or JUCO. The grass isn’t always greener at FBS, even with more resources. I have so much respect for CSC professionals at all levels. We are all truly some of the hardest working professionals behind-the-scenes in college athletics."