MANHATTAN, Kan. – For the second consecutive year and the third time since 2015, the Kansas State Athletics Communications Office was named one of the nation’s best by earning the 2020 Super 11 Award from the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).
The honor, which is based on media accessibility, relationships and media operations, has been awarded to FBS sports information staffs each year since the conclusion of the 2009 season.
K-State was joined on the 2020 Super 11 list by Appalachian State, Boston College, Clemson, Colorado, Indiana, Kentucky, Nebraska, North Carolina and West Virginia. The 2020 Super 11 Coach of the Year was Indiana’s Tom Allen. Additionally, the FWAA issued Special Merit Awards to the media information staffs of the Cotton and Rose bowls for their efforts in hosting the Rose Bowl Game in Arlington, Texas, and to San José State due to the fact the Spartans did not play home games and trained away from home, causing its SID staff extra work during what turned out to be a banner season on the field.
“This (2020) was a different kind of year, obviously,” FWAA Executive Director Steve Richardson said. “We tried to honor schools who went the extra mile in player and coach access remotely in most cases or to help writers in a scrambled season.”
Assistant Athletics Director for Communications Ryan Lackey and Executive Associate Athletics Director for Communications/Public Relations Kenny Lannou lead the office in matters related to the Wildcat football program. Other department staffers who worked primarily with football throughout the 2020 season include Video Producer Preston Koerner, Football Creative Coordinator Emily Starkey and Director of Football Graphic Design Jonathan Castro.
Additional in-season support was provided by Director of Men’s Basketball Communications Tom Gilbert, Office Manager Mary Gorman, Athletics Communications Assistant Grant Leibee, Director of Social Media and Digital Engagement Jay Moline, Director of Digital Media Scott Retzlaff, Graphic Designer Ron Cook, Creative Writing and Content Specialist Austin Siegel, Staff Photographer Scott Weaver and numerous student assistants.
The winners of the Super 11 Award are deemed by FWAA observers to have had good accessibility from program’s head coach, assistant coaches and players during the week of the game and after the game. Other criteria include how press boxes and gameday operations were run, quality and timeliness of information provided, the amount of information presented and appropriately updated on websites, personal responsiveness to media inquiries as well as the accessibility of players and coaches.
The Football Writers Association of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1941, consists of more than 1,300 men and women across North America who cover college football for a living. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards, a national poll and its annual All-America teams.