SID Network helps in Crisis Communications

I've often compared facets of the athletics communications profession to that of a lawyer. That is never more true than when managing crisis communications.

Our effectivness as a communications professional almost always depends on our past experience in dealing with a situation. We are more effective when we are able to relate the crisis we are facing with one we have dealt with in the past, and then reflect on the successes and the failures of that communications plan to help direct us in how to handle our current situation.

But the thing is (and this is a good thing), we likely haven't dealt with every crisis out there, or one similar enough to draw knowledge for our current crisis. I was speaking with a friend and colleague this evening about how to handle somewhat of a crisis situation he was facing.

After being briefed on the situation, I offered my advice and then was quick to say "But, you know who would know ..." and quickly rattled off the name of an SID at a fellow BCS school who had faced a similar situation that I had read about on the NCAA.org Web site.

As fellow athletics communicators, we are all in this thing together. While we may not have the experience of facing a certain crisis, I guarantee you there is an athletics communications director who has faced an identical situation or, at least one that is comparable. That's the power of the athletics communication network.

Keep up with crises that occur in collegiate athletics at schools across the country. One of the best ways to maintain your mental database of crises in college athletics is to read up daily on NCAA.org to see what schools have been penalized, reprimanded, etc., and also keep up with the stories in the daily newspapers and Web sites.

Know the crises that happen in college athletics to build your mental library. Just like a lawyer - they may not know all the facts of the previous case (often ones that set precedents) or its decision, but they know the cases exist and where to find them in their legal books. You know the past crisis and have a general understanding of how it relates to your crisis, and you know where to look (meaning who to call who went through a similar situation).

When you keep up with current crises in sports, make sure you're aware of who the "SID on record" is, meaning that you know who the athletics communications director was for that particular crisis and know who to call, even when that person has moved onto another job and another school.

For instance - if you want to find out how to handle a situation where your coach has committed recruiting violations, call JD Campbell of Indiana. If you want to find out how to handle a situation where a player dies and you have players harming fellow teammates, call Scott Stricklin who was at Baylor during a terribly difficult time for that school. If you want to find out how to handle a situation where a coach is suddenly terminated for violating university policies, contact Brian Miller who was at LSU when Pokey Chatman was fired. If you want to find out how to handle an athletics program that is going through a natural disaster, contact Donna Turner, who was at Tulane during the Hurricane Katrina crisis ... and the list goes on and on.

More than likely, a fellow athletics communications director will be willing to help you out. And if you're in the situation where you can help someone out with a crisis you have gone through, please be willing to do so. Remember, they didn't have to have handled the situation perfectly to be of help to you. If they can do an honest evalutation, they can mention their mistakes in the similiar crisis that will help you not to make them in your situation - you're benefitting from their experience.

Remember to keep tabs on crisis communications in college athletics and be willing to reach out and ask for advice. In crisis situations, experience really is the key, whether it's your experience or an experience that was shared with you.