Mike Mahon, Drake University’s sports information director for the last 23 years, resigned last week.
“I leave Drake with countless memories and will miss the close associations that I’ve developed over the years with student-athletes, administrators, coaches and the media,” Mahon said in a Drake athletics press release. “I’m forever grateful for the opportunity to have served as media coordinator for the many national events that Drake has hosted, like the NCAA Championships and the Drake Relays, which have enhanced my career.”
Mahon began his career as a sports information director at the University of South Dakota in 1977, after graduating from the school in 1976. He has been at Drake since 1988.
“I relinquish my seat on the sidelines, but will still be actively wishing Drake athletic teams success,” Mahon said. “I’ve been contemplating a career move recently and I look forward to the challenges of the future.”
Drake Athletic Director Sandy Hatfield Clubb expressed her gratitude to Mahon for his service to the school and the athletic program.
“Mike has been an integral part of the Drake family for many years,” Hatfield Clubb said in the same press release. “His contributions as the sports information director, and in particular his leadership with the Drake Relays, are appreciated. Mike will be missed by the department, and particularly by me. We wish him the very best.”
A sports information director’s main job is to document and publicize the accomplishments of athletes or teams for a particular school or league. He or she usually acts as a liaison between the athletes and the media.
Sports information directors have one of the busiest jobs in college sports. The department is in charge of compiling statistics, collecting information on each athlete, providing media guides for each sport, writing press releases and setting up interviews for players and coaches with members of the media.
Mahon has been involved with the U.S. Olympic Committee, serving as a press officer at the 1992, ’96 and 2004 Summer Olympics. He has also worked at numerous NCAA men’s basketball tournaments, including the 2001 and 2005 NCAA Final Four.
