BALTIMORE, Md. -- Coppin State University’s Sports Information Director Rob Knox was elected as the third vice president of CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) during the organization’s annual conference.
In beginning a five-year term on the CoSIDA Board of Directors, Knox will become CoSIDA’s second African-American president and first since 1987 in the 58-year history of the organization. He will lead the 3,000-plus member organization during the 2018-19 academic year. He is also the first Sports Information Director working at a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) to be elected into the CoSIDA presidential rotation.
“I am excited and humbled that the CoSIDA leadership demonstrated its faith in my abilities to elect me to the board of directors,” Knox said. “It’s a dream come true to have accomplished one of my professional goals. However, I understand that the real work begins and I am looking forward to leading our organization into its bright future while passionately serving our membership. I am blessed to serve in this role. I am also thankful for the support of the Coppin State administration.”
A native of Chester, Pennsylvania, Knox has enjoyed a stellar 2015 thus far. He will be inducted into The Lincoln University Athletics Hall of Fame in September and participate in the NCAA Leadership Institute in Pittsburgh next month.
Knox was awarded the CoSIDA Rising Star award in 2011 and has won three writing awards. This will be Knox’s second stint on the CoSIDA Board of Directors as he served as the College Division representative from 2009-2011. He is a past president of the Black College Sports Information Directors’ Association (BC-SIDA).
Last year Knox represented CoSIDA by presenting a panel on “Personal Branding” at the NCAA Division III Minority Leadership Program in Atlanta.
Knox has been part of CoSIDA’s decision-making processes in a number of key strategic initiatives that has benefitted the membership and strengthened the organization. He served on the first executive director search committee, provided input on the corporate logo rebranding as well as the decision to become an affiliate partner with NACDA.
In addition to serving student-athletes at Lincoln, Kutztown and Coppin State, Knox also worked as a media member for seven years. He was a sports reporter for the Delaware County Daily Times and a statistics manager at ESPN. Knox served on the NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Regional Advisory Committee and assisted with Lincoln’s transition from Division III to Division II.
Since arriving at Coppin State in November 2013, Knox has made an impact by redesigning the athletics website, providing enhanced video content, promoting a Woman of the Year finalist and chronicling the first female Capital One Academic All-America in school history.
CoSIDA’s Board of Directors is comprised of elected officer positions (President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, 3rd Vice President, immediate Past President and a Secretary-Digest), along with 10 other Board appointees who are at-large and college division representatives. These athletic PR professionals, along with a four-member staff (Executive Director, Director of External Affairs, Director of Internal Operations/Treasurer and Director of Membership Engagement) compose the organization’s leadership group.
CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) was founded in 1957 and is a 3,000+ member national organization comprised of the sports public relations, media relations and communications/information professionals throughout all levels of collegiate athletics in the United States and Canada. The 2015-16 academic year will be the 59th year of the organization, making it the second oldest management association in all of intercollegiate athletics. CoSIDA became an affiliated partner with NACDA (National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics in December of 2008.