CoSIDA Recognizes Doug Tammaro with 25+ Year Achievement Award

GREENWOOD, Ind. – Arizona State Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations Doug Tammaro has received one of the Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) 25+ Year Achievement Awards, the organization announced Thursday.
 
The award is presented to CoSIDA members who have completed 25 or more years in the sports information profession (as of July, 2020). Having started as a Sports Information Director back in 1991, Tammaro's knowledge and experience in the business is nearly unmatched, one of only 19 individuals to earn the exclusive distinction this year. He is in the midst of his 29th year as a member of the Media Relations staff at Arizona State. 

This recognition comes after Tammaro was named the top Sports Information Director at the NCAA Division I level as a part of CoSIDA's week-long Special Awards announcement. That award is given annually to the associate or assistant director in the sports information field who have made outstanding contributions to the field of sports information. Some of the biggest names in the business have earned this outstanding achievement since 2014-15, with Tammaro's name rightfully added to the list.
 
"Doug Tammaro has been known for being one of the most loyal and dedicated employees at ASU for almost 30 years," Sr. Associate AD for Media Relations Mark Brand stated. "He is widely-known in the industry for his hard work and love for people, his knowledge of his craft and his wit in carrying out his duties.  Doug always says 'you have to care' and he lives and breathes that mantra each and every day.  As demonstrated by this prestigious award, Doug is well-respected by his peers. ASU has been lucky to have him in the lead for nearly three decades.  And beyond his professional career, he is the consummate family man to wife Stephanie and daughters Arianna and Miquela."
 
Since joining Sun Devil Athletics in 1993, Tammaro has promoted his programs in innovative and unique ways. Known for his humility, work ethic, and sense of humor, Tammaro has built relationships throughout his career that have allowed him to be associated with some of the biggest events and the most important causes.  
 
"Congratulations to Doug Tammaro on this tremendous and well-deserved honor," Vice President for University Athletics Ray Anderson remarked. "We thank him for being an advocate for Sun Devil Athletics over the past 25+ years. A lot has changed in that time, but Doug's passion and work ethic has never wavered. We are lucky to have him as a part of our Sun Devil Athletics Family."
 
Tammaro currently handles all duties as the media relations contact for men's basketball and men's golf, while also in charge of an extremely successful student internship program. He also evaluates and manages a staff of six assistant SIDs under leadership of Sr. Associate A.D. for Media Relations Mark Brand.
 
He is a member of the NCAA Final Four Communications Committee since 2005, one of a handful of media relations directors to work directly with student-athletes and coaches each year at the site of the Final Four. When the Final Four was hosted in Phoenix back in 2017, Tammaro was the host Media Coordinator representing Arizona State.
 
Tammaro also manages football credentials and parking for home games while still working closely with the program, having previously served as a secondary contact before moving to men's basketball. During the 1996 Rose Bowl season, Tammaro was one of the Assistant SIDs, helping handle media coordination for one of the most popular teams in program history. He traveled to the Heisman Trophy Ceremonies with legendary quarterback Jake Plummer. A sign of his impact on that team is the countless friendships he maintains with members of that team.
 
One member of team in particular stood out to Tammaro (and everyone who knew him), the 1997 Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year Pat Tillman. Tammaro and Tillman built and maintained a friendship, with Tammaro heavily involved in establishing the Pat Tillman Foundation in 2004. The Foundation has been extremely successful in their mission to unite and empower remarkable military service members, veterans and spouses as the next generation of public and private sector leaders committed to service beyond self. For more information on the Foundation visit the following link.
 
He is also a founding member of the Pat's Run, the signature fundraiser for the Pat Tillman Foundation's Tillman Scholars program. Since it's inceptions 18 years ago, the event has grown to a global scale, with local versions of the 4.2 K run popping up all over the world on the same day as the one in Tempe. For more information on how to sign up, volunteer, or support Pat's Run, visit the following link.
 
Tammaro was the SID responsible for promoting one of the most popular figures in the history of Sun Devil Athletics, in charge of the publicity for the 2008 and 2009 Sun Devil Men's Basketball teams. James Harden emerged onto the national scene, with his rise in fame resulting in him being selected with the No. 3 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.
 
The news comes shortly after it was announced Senior Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations Mark Brand would be inducted into the Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Hall of Fame. They both will be honored for both achievements at the 2022 CoSIDA National Convention in Las Vegas, taking place June 26-29 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. 

Brand and Tammaro have been responsible for developing and mentoring hundreds of young professionals. The duo has built one of the most impressive "coaching trees" in the nation. Visit this link for more information about the former staff and students that have come through the Sun Devil Media Relations office and been impacted by Tammaro.
 
Prior to his time at Arizona State, Tammaro worked for CoSIDA Hall of Famer Roger Valdiserri at the University of Notre Dame. For the 1992 season, he was a Sports Information Assistant working with Head Coach Lou Holtz and future NFL players Rick Mirer, Jerome Bettis, Tom Carter, Irv Smith and Paul Failla. Before his stint at Notre Dame, Tammaro spent a year at Cincinnati, where he got his first experience of NCAA postseason hosting. He was the media contact in first round of 1992 NCAA Tournament in Dayton, Ohio, for men's basketball, later working the Final Four in Minneapolis.
 
Tammaro and his wife, Stephanie, live in the Valley and have two daughters. Their oldest, Arianna, is a freshman on the Lake Erie College softball team. Their youngest daughter, Miquela, is a member of the Corona Del Sol High School softball team.