This past week I was talking to a colleague, and he said something to me which both surfside and delighted me. “Did you see that Kenny Klein has been sitting next to the St. John’s bench? I thought he was retired, what a great thing they brought him in to help.” Most probably won’t know that Kenny Klein is a legend and a Hall of Famer in the college sports communications community. He spent decades at Louisville, including some important years with now St. John’s coach Rick Pitino, before retiring. However when the Johnnie’s had a comms staffer go down because of some personal issues in January, Coach Pitino turned to someone who has been through the media relationship building business and storytelling on the largest of stages, someone who could hit the ground running and had both the personal relationship and knowledge of the internal workings of Coach Pitino, as well as the external skill of knowing how a complicated national framework could fit together to help St. John’s continue to ascend carefully and purposefully to the national spotlight. They did not hand a critical piece off to a junior staffer and hoped it worked out. They went to a person who had a seat at the table who could help build junior staffers, but someone who also had a valuable skill we have talked about before…institutional knowledge.
I raise this because it was such a pleasant surprise seeing Kenny Klein in such an important role at St. John’s down the stretch, and the intangible calmness and professionalism he brings to that spot as a veteran giving back is invaluable to all he encounters. I know this first-hand, because wayyyy back when I was just 22 and the Sports Information Director at Iona it was Kenny, along with a cadre of other veterans during that season, that were there to provide much needed guidance to a young person just getting his start and frankly, trying to learn without much of a safety net. Iona that season under head coach Pat Kennedy, played a killer schedule that took us to some amazing places, but put me in a position to be around a group of professionals whose learnings I kept with me to today. That group included Kenny Klein at Louisville, Rick Brewer at North Carolina, Joyce Aschenbrenner and Tommy Sheppard at UNLV, Joel Glass and Chris Cameron at Florida, John Paquette at the MAAC, and another Hall of Famer, Fred Hill at Howard. Iona was, and is, part of the MAAC, but all the others were part of a road schedule that took us places far and wide, and provided me with an insiders look that showed me how things in an industry of communicators can be done right. It is going to be especially valuable as we head towards March Madness for both men’s and women’s programs in the next few weeks. Which schools will have young people primed to step up and handle the challenges of being thrust into the limelight, and maybe more importantly, which will be sure that their young people are ready to have the veteran tools who can help guide them through fun but challenging bright lights?
That pass along, and the reminder of the value of infusing young people whose passion for this industry is still very potent, came up several times this week beyond my back and forth with Kenny Klein. I saw it in the way a young ticketing staffer talked about the program at NJIT during a stop there on Thursday night, in the in infectious enthusiasm interns had on Friday as Westchester SC played an exhibition game at home for the first time as they ready for their first USL season, and in the intensity and devotion several staffers at Division II Caldwell University showed when I visited there for a game on Saturday. In each case this old guy took great pride in listening and seeing the Next Gen potential of people on the way up, and it was a pleasure to watch and learn and be reminded of that road that lies ahead for them, just like it was for me, somewhat unknowingly, as Iona travelling the county in the winter of 1985-86.
Now on the other end, it is a pleasure to pass along little learnings here and there while still being a curious learner, much like, I believe St. John’s has during this magical run that another veteran storyteller is doing for them, coming back off the bench to take a few effective shots. Institutional knowledge, when used correctly and effectively, can be a valuable intangible in times good and lean. Sometimes in the cost cutting world of today that value gets lost in the mix. It was great to see St. John’s appreciate that value, much like I appreciated it back in the day, and still do today. Glad to keep passing it on, and forever grateful to those colleagues who helped steady a young career ship back in the day.
We all learn, and win, together.
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