Army West Point Athletics
Army Administrator Earns ECAC-SIDA Marsh Award
June 11, 2010 | General
NORTH FALMOUTH, Mass. - Army senior associate athletic director Bob Beretta was honored with the 2010 University Division Irving T. Marsh Award at the annual Eastern College Athletic Conference Sports Information Directors' Association awards dinner held on Thursday night.
The awards are given annually to a University (Division I or II) and College Division (Division III, NAIA) or Junior College ECAC Sports Information Directors Association member who, in the opinion of the ECAC-SIDA membership and Executive Board, has exhibited excellence in the field of sports information. First presented in 1966, the awards are named after Irving T. Marsh, the ECAC Service Bureau founder and director until his retirement in 1973.
After honoring one person from 1966 through 1990, the Marsh Award was expanded to its present format in 1991.
A local product with deep-rooted ties to the Hudson Valley, Beretta just completed his 16th year heading Army’s Office of Athletic Communications and 24th year overall in the department. In August 2003 he was promoted to Associate Athletic Director for Athletic Communications. Two years later, he added the title of Senior Associate Athletic Director and expanded that role to Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Operations, Relationships and Branding in May of 2008. He has served as a member of the athletic director’s executive staff each of the past 10 years.
Beretta assumed duties as the U.S. Military Academy’s sports information director in April 1995 after serving for eight years as an assistant under longtime Army sports information director Bob Kinney. Beretta was named an assistant athletic director in 2000.
The Newburgh, N.Y., native graduated magna cum laude from St. Bonaventure University in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications. Three weeks later, he began a six-month internship in the Academy’s sports information department. He had previously served as an intern for the Pointer View, West Point’s post newspaper, during the summers of his sophomore and junior years, and filled the role of sports editor.
Elevated to full-time assistant status in January 1988, Beretta succeeded Kinney as the U.S. Military Academy’s fourth sports information director in April 1995. At the time, he stood as the youngest Division I-A SID in the country. Presently, he is charged with overseeing the entire external operations department for the Army Athletic Association, including all athletic communications, multi-media, marketing, promotions, development and ticketing initiatives. He also serves as the primary media contact for the Black Knights’ football and baseball squads, and completed his fifth year as the baseball program’s sports administrator.
In the spring of 2000, Beretta’s 1999 Army football media guide was voted “Third Best in the Nation” by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), the highest finish for the guide in nearly three decades. His football and baseball media guides have regularly claimed “Best in the District” honors over the last decade.
During his 24 years at the Academy, Beretta has captured 68 CoSIDA writing awards, including 24 national honors and nine “Best in the Nation” awards. He has copped 39 publication citings, including 12 national awards and six “Best in the Nation” honors. In his final year participating in the CoSIDA writing contest, Beretta won 13 awards (seven national), had three feature stories chosen Best in the Nation and two others finish second in their feature categories. He took home two of the top three finishes in the national “Story of the Year” voting and won his first national “Story of the Year” citing. He had finished second in the same voting on one occasion previously.
While he co-produced the Black Knights’ 1996 Poulan/Weed Eater Independence Bowl media guide that was judged “Best in the Nation,” his 1992 football game day programs garnered similar distinction. Additionally, four of his “Best in the Nation” accolades have been the result of outstanding publication cover designs. During his term in charge, Army’s athletic communications office has piled up 57 publication awards (including 12 Best in the Nation citations) and 72 writing certificates sponsored by CoSIDA.
Beretta also played large roles in negotiating two national television deals while at the Academy, including Army’s current deal with CBS College Sports Network, the Army football team’s upcoming series of games at Yankee Stadium and the presenting sponsor title rights to the Army-Navy football classic. He also played a vital role as a member of the committee that selected the sites for future Army-Navy football games.
Beretta was responsible for completely revamping Army’s marketing efforts after assuming those duties in the spring of 2008. Among his initiatives, Beretta unveiled a thorough signage campaign that blanked the tri-state region, introduced giveaways at all Army football home games, created a new fan-fest area, titled Black Knights Alley, which draws thousands of fans before each Army home game, and implemented a Coaches Caravan outreach plan that placed members of Army’s coaching staffs in the community.
Army captured its first three National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) awards under Beretta’s leadership in 2009, winning two first-place honors and a second-place accolade for outstanding achievement in marketing and promotions. The Black Knights added two more NACMA awards the following year.
Beretta is the third member of the West Point sports information staff to earn the prestigious honor, following Kinney in 1995 and current assistant director of athletic communications Mady Salvani in 2001.
The awards are given annually to a University (Division I or II) and College Division (Division III, NAIA) or Junior College ECAC Sports Information Directors Association member who, in the opinion of the ECAC-SIDA membership and Executive Board, has exhibited excellence in the field of sports information. First presented in 1966, the awards are named after Irving T. Marsh, the ECAC Service Bureau founder and director until his retirement in 1973.
After honoring one person from 1966 through 1990, the Marsh Award was expanded to its present format in 1991.
A local product with deep-rooted ties to the Hudson Valley, Beretta just completed his 16th year heading Army’s Office of Athletic Communications and 24th year overall in the department. In August 2003 he was promoted to Associate Athletic Director for Athletic Communications. Two years later, he added the title of Senior Associate Athletic Director and expanded that role to Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Operations, Relationships and Branding in May of 2008. He has served as a member of the athletic director’s executive staff each of the past 10 years.
Beretta assumed duties as the U.S. Military Academy’s sports information director in April 1995 after serving for eight years as an assistant under longtime Army sports information director Bob Kinney. Beretta was named an assistant athletic director in 2000.
The Newburgh, N.Y., native graduated magna cum laude from St. Bonaventure University in 1987 with a bachelor’s degree in mass communications. Three weeks later, he began a six-month internship in the Academy’s sports information department. He had previously served as an intern for the Pointer View, West Point’s post newspaper, during the summers of his sophomore and junior years, and filled the role of sports editor.
Elevated to full-time assistant status in January 1988, Beretta succeeded Kinney as the U.S. Military Academy’s fourth sports information director in April 1995. At the time, he stood as the youngest Division I-A SID in the country. Presently, he is charged with overseeing the entire external operations department for the Army Athletic Association, including all athletic communications, multi-media, marketing, promotions, development and ticketing initiatives. He also serves as the primary media contact for the Black Knights’ football and baseball squads, and completed his fifth year as the baseball program’s sports administrator.
In the spring of 2000, Beretta’s 1999 Army football media guide was voted “Third Best in the Nation” by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), the highest finish for the guide in nearly three decades. His football and baseball media guides have regularly claimed “Best in the District” honors over the last decade.
During his 24 years at the Academy, Beretta has captured 68 CoSIDA writing awards, including 24 national honors and nine “Best in the Nation” awards. He has copped 39 publication citings, including 12 national awards and six “Best in the Nation” honors. In his final year participating in the CoSIDA writing contest, Beretta won 13 awards (seven national), had three feature stories chosen Best in the Nation and two others finish second in their feature categories. He took home two of the top three finishes in the national “Story of the Year” voting and won his first national “Story of the Year” citing. He had finished second in the same voting on one occasion previously.
While he co-produced the Black Knights’ 1996 Poulan/Weed Eater Independence Bowl media guide that was judged “Best in the Nation,” his 1992 football game day programs garnered similar distinction. Additionally, four of his “Best in the Nation” accolades have been the result of outstanding publication cover designs. During his term in charge, Army’s athletic communications office has piled up 57 publication awards (including 12 Best in the Nation citations) and 72 writing certificates sponsored by CoSIDA.
Beretta also played large roles in negotiating two national television deals while at the Academy, including Army’s current deal with CBS College Sports Network, the Army football team’s upcoming series of games at Yankee Stadium and the presenting sponsor title rights to the Army-Navy football classic. He also played a vital role as a member of the committee that selected the sites for future Army-Navy football games.
Beretta was responsible for completely revamping Army’s marketing efforts after assuming those duties in the spring of 2008. Among his initiatives, Beretta unveiled a thorough signage campaign that blanked the tri-state region, introduced giveaways at all Army football home games, created a new fan-fest area, titled Black Knights Alley, which draws thousands of fans before each Army home game, and implemented a Coaches Caravan outreach plan that placed members of Army’s coaching staffs in the community.
Army captured its first three National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) awards under Beretta’s leadership in 2009, winning two first-place honors and a second-place accolade for outstanding achievement in marketing and promotions. The Black Knights added two more NACMA awards the following year.
Beretta is the third member of the West Point sports information staff to earn the prestigious honor, following Kinney in 1995 and current assistant director of athletic communications Mady Salvani in 2001.
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