In Nashville, Jeff Lockridge profiled Vanderbilt AD DAVID WILLIAMS, and wrote he has made an "admirable and unlikely climb from Detroit public school teacher." Williams, the SEC's "fourth-longest tenured AD, is putting the finishing touches on one of the most eventful years in Commodores athletics history." Williams has been "seemingly unfazed, a pillar of consistency and composure amid the good times and the bad." He "doesn't have time for false facades" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 6/14).
STAYING PUT: In Sacramento, Joe Davidson profiles Univ. of Oregon Senior Associate AD/Facilities, Events & Operations MIKE DUNCAN, who was previously NBA Kings VP/Arena Programming. The Kings recently "reached out to gauge his interest in running" the team's new downtown arena. Duncan listened to the offer and "was intrigued." He even "initially accepted the offer before a change of heart" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 6/17).
PLAY THE GAME: ESPN VP/Games & Partnerships RAPHAEL POPLOCK lands on Multichannel News' 40 under 40 list for '14. Poplock has "driven pivotal negotiations and signed key deals in the gaming and digital media space." Poplock was the "lead negotiator with Microsoft's Xbox Live" and "inked a first-of-its-kind deal for ESPN that changed the sports viewing experience through interactivity and personalization on the gaming console since Xbox Live's debut" in November '10. As the "primary liason for ESPN's long-standing relationship with EA Sports, Poplock supports new content strategies with deeper in-game integrations." Also included in the 40 under 40 list was The Whistle Head of Content Partnerships JULIE KIKLA (MULTICHANNEL NEWS, 6/16 issue).
EVER-GREEN STATE: Former Washington football coach STEVE SARKISIAN and current Washington State football coach MIKE LEACH were the "best paid state employees" in '13. Sarkisian earned over $2.6M in '13 before "quitting late in the year" to coach USC, while Leach earned over $2.3M. The "only other state employee listed" with a salary over $1M was UW men's basketball coach LORENZO ROMAR, who earned nearly $1.9M. WSU men's basketball coach KEN BONE, who "lost his job" in '14, earned $870,143 in '13. The "top-paid state employee who isn't a football or basketball coach" is UW AD SCOTT WOODWARD, who "earned just over $690,000 last year (AP, 6/16).
AWARDS & HONORS: Former 49ers coach GEORGE SEIFERT on Nov. 1 will be inducted into the team's HOF (49ers)....Cardinals WR LARRY FITZGERALD last night at Tulsa's Renaissance Hotel was the male recipient of the Henry P. Iba Citizen Athlete Award for his off-field contributions to society (TULSA WORLD, 6/17)....Ravens Senior Advisor for Player Development O.J. BRIGANCE has "won the George Halas Award for overcoming adversity to succeed." Brigance has ALS and has "served as an inspiration while helping raise research funds to fight the disease through the Brigance Brigade foundation" (AP, 6/16)....Former MLBer TIM WALLACH, former Expos GM MURRAY COOK and former broadcaster DAVE VAN HORNE will be inducted into the Canadian Baseball HOF on June 21. Late scout JIM RIDLEY will be inducted posthumously (THE DAILY).
NAMES: Vice President JOE BIDEN "took to the locker room Monday night to congratulate the U.S. men’s soccer team after a victory over Ghana." The White House "released a video of Biden exchanging handshakes and laughs with the team" (POLITICO.com, 6/17)....The Bid for Kids gala yesterday honored former MLBer MARIANO RIVERA, and the event was expected to raise nearly $3M for Harlem RBI, an “organization that provides spots programs and social services for children” (NYTIMES.com, 6/16)….The Rays Baseball Foundation last Friday awarded a total of $100,000 to 20 Tampa-area nonprofit organizations through the Community Fund Grant Program (Rays)….The U.S. Supreme Court has “declined to revive a defamation lawsuit” that Basketball HOFer SCOTTIE PIPPEN filed against several media companies -- including NBCUniversal and CBS Interactive -- for “falsely reporting he had filed for bankruptcy” (AP, 6/16)….Steelers QB BEN ROETHLISBERGER yesterday held his annual youth football camp for 500 children. This year’s event was held on “one day with two sessions and a lunch break,” as opposed to its previous two-day format (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 6/17)….Knicks F CARMELO ANTHONY made $30M when Apple “agreed to buy Beats headphones” for $3B. Anthony in ’08 took a stake in the then-fledgling music tech company (N.Y. POST, 6/15)....It was reported last week that Heat F LEBRON JAMES also made $30M from his stake in Beats (THE DAILY)....A 12,800-square-foot mansion in Wayne, Pa., owned by Flyers Chair ED SNIDER during the ‘80s “will go up for auction” on Thursday (PHILLY.com, 6/17)….Red Sox Owner JOHN HENRY and his wife, LINDA, celebrated Father’s Day night at Boston’s Liquid Art House (BOSTONHERALD.com, 6/17).
