INDIANAPOLIS - Sun Devil Athletics Senior Associate Athletic Director for Media Relations Doug Tammaro received an extremely prestigious honor from the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.
Tammaro was named the 2024 recipient of USBWA's Katha Quinn Award. Since 1988, the award has recognized sports information directors and administrators that have excelled at servicing the media or provide an inspiration to those in the sports journalism profession. Tammaro will receive the award on April 8 at Glendale, Ariz., at an awards luncheon before the national championship game.
"Doug is an especially deserving recipient of an award that celebrates the importance of relationships in coverage of college basketball," USBWA president Brendan Quinn, a senior writer for The Athletic mentioned in the award announcement. "He gets it. He understands both the task at hand for the media and what's best for those he represents at Arizona State. Doug is not only a pleasure to work with, but also honest and genuine at all times. For those reasons, he epitomizes the spirit of the Katha Quinn Award."
Tammaro has worked in the Arizona State media relations office since June of 1993 after one-year stints at Notre Dame and Cincinnati. His career has included working directly with some of the most notable and recognizable Sun Devils in history, including James Harden, Eddie House, Ike Diogu, Pat Tillman, Jake Plummer, Jon Rahm and Lu Dort. 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. Tammaro was the host Media Coordinator representing Arizona State at the 2017 Final Four in Phoenix and will assume that role once again in 2024 with NCAA Men's Basketball's biggest event coming to the Valley.
"Doug Tammaro is extremely worthy of this recognition," Sun Devil Men's Basketball Head Coach Bobby Hurley remarked. "His passion and dedication for Sun Devil Athletics is unmatched. He does a terrific job of building relationships with players, coaches, and media members. We are lucky to have him as a part of our program."
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. He has overseen the communications of ASU Men's Basketball for the past 30 years.
The award puts him in an exclusive club with the 34 previous winners, including industry legends Roger Valdiserri of Notre Dame, Big Ten Commissioner Wayne Duke, Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese, and former NCAA officials Bill Hancock, Tom Jernstedt, Greg Shaheen, and the awards namesake, Katha Quinn.
"It is an honor to be associated with Katha Quinn's legacy, and it hits home with me because the passion that the late Jim O'Connell presented this award every year made a huge impact on my career," Tammaro told the USBWA. "Jim made sure everyone knew Katha's story and the respect and friendship he had with Katha still resonates with everyone in the college basketball media world. They both were incredibly special. To have my name on a list that includes many greats is overwhelming, and to see Roger Valdiserri's name means it is a special award. The kindness, dedication and work ethic of everyone who has received this award I don't take for granted."
In 1988 a then-unnamed award was presented to Quinn, the Sports Information Director at St. John's University, to celebrate her work overseeing the press operation at the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis, despite a diagnosis of terminal liver cancer. She passed away in March, 1989 at the age of 34. The award has been given annually for the past 34 years to honor her legacy.
The accolades continue to rack up during Tammaro's 30+-years in collegiate athletics. In 2022, he was honored with the University Division Achievement Award from the Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America (now College Sports Communicators). This recognized him as the top individual in his profession among all media relations and communication staffs throughout the country. During that same month, Tammaro also took home the 25+ Year Achievement Award, which honored his long and illustrious career.
Tammaro is a branch on one of several media relation director's trees, having worked for such sports information legends as Valdiserri (the 1993 Katha Quinn Award winner) plus John Heisler of Notre Dame and UCF, John Bianco of the University of Texas, Cincinnati and Baldwin-Wallace College, Mark Brand of Arizona State, Tom Hathaway (Cincinnati), Rose Pietrzak Carter (Notre Dame) and CSC 2008 Hall of Fame inductee Kevin Ruple, also at Baldwin-Wallace College. In a reversal of roles, he is now the tree himself with a growing branch of several former Sun Devil Athletics Media Relations employees and student assistants that have gone on to enjoy successful careers. Take a look at the full list of former ASU Media Relations staff.
Doug and his wife Stephanie live in Chandler, Ariz., and have two daughters. Arianna is a junior on the softball team at Lake Erie College in Ohio while Miquela is a junior on the softball team at Corona Del Sol High School.
ABOUT THE USBWA
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 900 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. It has selected an All-America team since the 1956-57 season. For more information on the USBWA and its award programs, contact executive director Malcolm Moran at 814-574-1485.
ALL-TIME KATHA QUINN AWARD WINNERS
1988 Katha Quinn, St. John's University
1991 Marvin "Skeeter" Francis, Atlantic Coast Conference
1992 Tom Frericks, University of Dayton
1993 Roger Valdiserri, University of Notre Dame
1994 Marvin "Swede" Johnson, Coors Brewing Co.
1995 George Raveling, Washington State/USC
1996 Rick Brewer, University of North Carolina
1997 Craig Miller and Amy Early, USA Basketball
1998 Al Shrier, Temple University
1999 Bill Hancock, NCAA
2000 Tim Tolokan, University of Connecticut
2001 Mike Tranghese, Big East Conference
2002 Mark Asher, Washington Post
2003 Jack Watkins, Missouri Valley Conference
2004 Jim Marchiony, NCAA
2005 Steve Kirschner, University of North Carolina
2006 Wayne Duke, Big Ten Conference
2007 Joe Mitch, U.S. Basketball Writers Association
2008 Josh Krulewitz and Mike Soltys, ESPN
2009 John Paquette, Big East Conference
2010 Chris Fallon, National Invitation Tournament
2011 Oliver Pierce, Gonzaga University
2012 Kenny Klein, University of Louisville
2013 Greg Shaheen, NCAA
2014 Brian Morrison, Atlantic Coast Conference
2015 Tom Jernstedt, NCAA
2016 David Worlock, NCAA
2017 Bernie Cafarelli, American Athletic Conference
2018 Joe Castiglione, University of Oklahoma
2019 Mike Sheridan, Villanova University
2020 Jim Haney, NABC
2021 Doug Vance, University of Kansas, CoSIDA
2022 Bill Behrns, Loyola University
2023 Chuck Walsh, Florida State University
2024 Doug Tammaro, Arizona State University
THE SPORTS WORLD REACTS
Doug Tammaro of @TheSunDevils to receive 2024 Katha Quinn Award for service to the media: https://t.co/ohsc4i5co9 pic.twitter.com/0mYP9sJcgE
— U.S. Basketball Writers Association (@USBWA) January 11, 2024
Nobody more deserving that my boy DT…an absolute professional at his job and in life!!! Whether it's a shout out, a thank you, a fist bump, or in my case an insult ?? Doug makes everybody in the world feel important. Nobody more respected by his peers. Congrats @DougTammaro https://t.co/FL1jh4wRii
— Kyle Dodd (KD) (@K_Dodd3) January 11, 2024
The best in the business @DougTammaro! Congratulations Doug https://t.co/hCGxHRWDEp
— Derek Glasser (@DerekGlasser12) January 11, 2024
Congratulations @DougTammaro !!! Keep being great ??????
— frankie?? (@Frankiecollins0) January 11, 2024
Congratulations @DougTammaro ???????????? Well Deserved honor and recognition. #classact #forksup?? https://t.co/KFF7GhugeI
— Natasha Adair (@CoachAdair) January 11, 2024
Congrats to the ?? himself, @DougTammaro, the second-ever Katha Quinn Award recipient representing a Pac-12 school (George Raveling, 1995)! ??: https://t.co/Fz1K0CmmD5 Now, in honor of DT, sign up for #PatsRun today!https://t.co/Aa3bsJDUKk @pattillmanfnd https://t.co/ihi4YK4hXx
— Andrew Taylor (@andrewtaylor09) January 11, 2024
Congrats @DougTammaro on this tremendous and well deserved award. And i agree with @PaolaBoivin and @DougHaller you are and always have been really good at your job! My man. Way to go https://t.co/N2uFfHq7Wo
— Scott Pera (@RiceCoachPera) January 11, 2024
The best!!! Congrats @DougTammaro! https://t.co/eKpirQZFj8
— Andy Katz (@TheAndyKatz) January 11, 2024
Congrats and well deserved @DougTammaro! https://t.co/X93e9eMnKw
— Chris Karpman (@ChrisKarpman) January 11, 2024
Well-deserved honor for one of the best in the business @DougTammaro https://t.co/BGFdgbIVgF
— John Marshall (@jmarshallap) January 11, 2024
Congrats, @DougTammaro. Can't wait to see you in the @Big12Conference.
— Fran Fraschilla (@franfraschilla) January 12, 2024
Congratulations @DougTammaro ?? https://t.co/7LfatQM62f
— TB16 (@Trenton__B16) January 11, 2024
Congrats to ASU SID @DougTammaro who has been named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association's Katha Quinn Award winner. The award recognizes sports information directors excelling at servicing the media or providing inspiration to those in the sports journalism profession.
— DevilsDigest.com (@DevilsDigest) January 11, 2024
Great SID, even better human. Congratulations @DougTammaro https://t.co/b4SoBNZeCF
— Brittney Matta (@suncitybrit) January 11, 2024
Congrats @DougTammaro!
— Jeff Eisenberg (@JeffEisenberg) January 11, 2024
Congrats @DougTammaro!!
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) January 11, 2024
Legend. Greatness. Looks out for student-journalists as much as the top dogs because he knows every single moment is a chance to learn and grow. Everyone who has ever met Doug has a great "Doug story".
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@JourdanRodrigue) January 12, 2024
Truly one of the best in the business. I mean haing a SID that drops off press passes at your house, your gym your Church. Not many like him! https://t.co/VQAsOMRMX3
— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) January 11, 2024
Congrats @DougTammaro! You are the ultimate Sun Devil ???? https://t.co/oA8ZYeT5Ij
— Megan C Bartlett (@coachcbartlett) January 12, 2024