Joe Mitch

Former executive director donates $100,000 to USBWA

By JOE MITCH
USBWA Executive Director
mitch@usbwa.com

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It hasn't been often in my role as executive director that I've received calls from people wishing to donate to the USBWA.

A handful of times maybe. Those that did contribute were members primarily and were generous in their giving, typically $100 or so. A nonprofit organization like the USBWA always welcomes donations.

The call that I received from former USBWA president and executive director Steve Guback last spring was different than most. He said he'd like to donate $100,000 to the USBWA for an endowment fund to support the organization's scholarship program.

I was speechless.

"The USBWA made a difference in my life," said Guback, who was inducted into the USBWA Hall of Fame in 1989. "I want to give something back."

Guback wanted the endowment fund established with the USBWA to help students attend college. "It's important to me that I can help somebody else get a college education," said Guback, who was USBWA president in 1976-77 and executive director from 1977 to 1983. He also is a former Washington Star sportswriter.

"I had help when I was a student," Guback said. "I never thought I'd be able to go to college after high school. But I was able to get an Ernie Pyle scholarship from Indiana. If not for the scholarship, I probably would have been working at Jiffy Lube."

The endowment fund, known as the Steve Guback Scholarship Endowment, will provide scholarship monies to students in two ways.

The first will be a $1,000 scholarship to the winner of a sportswriting contest at the Larry Donald "Full Court Press" seminar hosted by the USBWA each year at the NCAA Final Four. Donald is a past president of the USBWA who passed away in 2000.

The second way will be a $4,000 scholarship, with $1,000 given annually for four years to the son or daughter of a USBWA member. The scholarships will be awarded to students who have demonstrated academic excellence and achievement in citizenship and community involvement. A committee comprised of past presidents and the current USBWA president will select the recipient each year.

"We are awed by and deeply grateful for Steve's remarkable generosity toward a great cause," said USBWA President Vahe Gregorian, sports columnist for The Kansas City Star. "Not only will it go towards a terrific cause, but it's a great reminder of the long-term impact USBWA membership can have – both in terms of how it was so important to Steve and what this will do for the recipients."

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USBWA MEMBER BENEFITS: It's never too late to join the USBWA. Here are some of the member benefits:

• A printed membership directory listing contact information for members and all Division I men's and women's basketball coaches and the beat writers and columnists who cover them. The directory is a valuable resource and is worth the price of membership alone ($50).

• An up-to-date online membership directory. To access all current member profiles, go to: http://directory. sportswriters.net.

• A 20-percent discount off the best available rate at participating Hilton properties. To activate the Hilton MVP card, visit the Member Center on the USBWA website.

• A 15-percent savings on regular-price merchandise at Brooks Brothers. Go to the Member Center on the USBWA website to apply for a Brooks Brothers Corporate Membership Card to receive the discount.

• A $10 discount for ESPN.com Insider.

• Hertz discounts. Enter the USBWA's CDP code (1646337) when you make reservations online.

• A complimentary digital subscription to 12 monthly issues of Basketball Times.

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LODGE NOTES: 'Fieldhouse' highlights busy offseason

In a busy offseason on the job front, several writers joined former Sports Illustrated writer Seth Davis' new college basketball website, The Fieldhouse: C.L. Brown, formerly of ESPN.com; Brian Hamilton, formerly of SI; Dana O'Neil, formerly of ESPN.com; and Sam Vecenie, formerly of CBS Sports.

Others who lost jobs over the sum-mer included Jimmy Burch, who was at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram for 35 years; Andy Katz, who had been at ESPN for 17 years; and Eamonn Brennan of ESPN.

Stewart Mandel, formerly of Fox Sports, and Nicole Auerbach, formerly of USA Today, also joined the Athletic's football website, The All-American. Brendan F. Quinn, formerly of Mlive.com, joined the The Athletic's Detroit site. In other moves, Pete Thamel moved from SI to Yahoo Sports; Luke Winn went from SI to join the NBA's Toronto Raptors as Director of Prospect Strategy; Lindsay Schnell moved from SI to USA Today; former Fox Sports writer Reid Forgrave joined CBS Sports; and Nick Baumgardner moved from MLive.com to the Detroit Free Press. Todd Jones left the Columbus Dispatch to become a senior writer for Ohio State University.

Legendary Sports Illustrated writer Frank Deford, who was inducted into the USBWA's Hall of Fame last spring, died on May 28. ... Philadelphia Tribune sportswriter Donald Hunt was inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame on Nov. 2. ... Paul Morrison – who spent parts of eight decades at Drake as a student, SID and historian – celebrated his 100th birthday on July 25.

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Nominations being taken for USBWA awards

Nominations are now being accepted for the following USBWA awards to be presented next April.

HALL OF FAME: Established in 1988, the USBWA honors past and current members for their contributions to the organization and for their achievements in sports journalism. To be eligible, an individual must have a minimum of 20 years experience as a sports writer or college athletics administrator dealing with basketball. Send nominations to USBWA Executive Director Joe Mitch at mitch@usbwa.com.

KATHA QUINN AND MARY JO HAVERBECK: Both awards recognize individuals in men's and women's basketball for their service to the media and for the inspiration they provide to those in the sports journalism profession. The awards are presented in honor of two former sports information directors who have passed away -- Quinn (St. John's) and Haverbeck (Penn State). Send nominations for the Quinn Award in men's basketball to past president Malcolm Moran at moranma@indiana.edu and Mike Waters, USBWA second vice president, at mwaters@syracuse.com, and to Mel Greenberg at poll@att.net for the Haverbeck Award in women's basketball.

MOST COURAGEOUS: The USBWA honors a player, coach, official or administrator who demonstrates extraordinary courage while facing adversity in life. First presented in 1978, it is the USBWA's oldest award. Send men's nominations to Seth Davis, USBWA third vice president, at sethdavishoops@gmail.com, and women's nominations to Greenberg.

RISING STAR: The USBWA honors a member who is under 30 and shows outstanding promise as a journalist covering college basketball. Send nominations to past president John Akers at johna19081@gmail.com.