Profile of a sports information director : an examination of the working relationship among Southeastern Conference sports information directors and basketball coaches and the editors who cover them

The purpose of this study was to obtain a personal and professional profile of the sports information director in the Southeastern Confer ence. In addition, a major part of the research dealt with an examina tion of the working relationship among the SIDs, key sports editors and head basketball coaches in the SEC. The 10 SIDs and 10 basketball coaches of the respective SEC universities were chosen as participants in this study, as were 10 key sports editors in the Southeast. The SEC is one of the most successful and progressive athletic conferences in the country and the author believed the SEC to be a suitable represen tative of NCAA Division I athletic conferences.

The data collection instrument was the questionnaire and the data collection method was direct mail. This study involved three separate questionnaires. Each particular group—the SIDs, sports editors and basketball coaches—were sent separate questionnaires. The return rates were 8 of 10 for each group.

The major findings indicate that the SID serves as the liaison between the school's athletic program and the media and is a dissemina tor of information to the press and public in regard to his school's athletic program. The SID also serves as host to the media at all athletic events and is responsible for the printing and editing of all athletic department printed material. Through his work, the SID also attempts to constantly project an honest and credible image of his school's athletic program.

The findings from this study suggested that the SID must be a versatile individual with the ability to adapt to diverse situations and relationships. It was found that it is important for the SID to cultivate a solid working relationship with the members of the press, as they are his arm to reach the public. Maintaining a stable working relationship with the coaching staff is another goal the SID should seek to attain. Gaining the coaches' respect and confidence is vital for the SID in his efforts to serve as an effective information source.

From this study, it appears that the SEC SIDs maintain fairly close working relationships with both the sports editors and basketball coaches. However, the editor-coach relationships do not seem to be as close. Personal conflicts between the two are often the cause for the breakdown in this relationship.

In a quick characterization, the SEC SID is either under 40 or over 50 years of age, has more than 15 years of experience in the sports information field, possesses a strong background in newspaper work, is an alumnus of the school he worked for in 1981, and earns between $20,000-29,999 per year.