Paul Finebaum reacts to report of Nick Saban interest in returning to coaching
Paul Finebaum had an interesting reaction to the wild Nick Saban coaching report put out by Greg McElroy on Monday. The former Alabama quarterback said he heard from someone “in the know” that believes Saban will return to coaching. Finebaum spoke to some others on a different occasion that said Saban is having the time […]
Paul Finebaum had an interesting reaction to the wild Nick Saban coaching report put out by Greg McElroy on Monday. The former Alabama quarterback said he heard from someone “in the know” that believes Saban will return to coaching.
Finebaum spoke to some others on a different occasion that said Saban is having the time of his life not coaching. Currently, the former Alabama coach is an analyst in ESPN’s College GameDay, plays a lot of golf, does speaking engagements and hangs out with his wife, Miss Terry.
Fibebaum would love the news cycle if Saban decided to return to coaching, likely in college of course, but that’s not happening in his mind. Heck, just imagine if he did the opposite of Bill Belichick and tried his hands at the pros following a Hall of Fame college career.
“As much as I would love to have turned SEC Media Days upside down and said to Greg, ‘I’ve heard the same thing,’ I told Greg I was with somebody,” Finebaum began during SEC Media Days. “I was walking around somebody the other day, let me put it that way, who’s around Saban a lot, not in the state of Alabama, but in Florida. And he described to me what I’m sure you’ve heard many times, and you’ve heard, you know Nick very well, is that he’s having the time of life.
“He’s playing at better golf clubs than he’s ever played at and that will continue, because everybody wants Nick Saban to be in their golf club. He’s making a fortune when he decides he wants to make a speech. He’s making a fortune when he shows up on ESPN once a week. And why would you give all that up at the age of 74? Don’t ask me how I know about things like that, but I hang around a lot of people who are turning 70, and it makes no sense, except that Nick Saban is the most competitive human being. And maybe if somebody said, ‘Coach, listen, Pete Carroll, same age, $10-15 million we’ll give you this, we’ll give you that.’”
For full context, McElroy explained what he heard regarding his former coach Monday morning on McElroy and Cubelic. There’s a reason why he brought it up.
“This is a little bit out of left field, but the question was asked of me … a very much in the know person that I have a lot of respect for and have spent a lot of time around and just really, really admire,” McElroy said during an interview with Paul Finebaum on the show. “They seem to think Nick Saban’s not done coaching. I had a similar reaction. He’s pretty adamant that he thinks Nick Saban will be coaching again. … Look, if it wasn’t someone notable, I’d never say a word.”
Saban retired with a record of 292-71-1 and seven national championships. He was the head coach at Toledo, Michigan State, LSU and Alabama in his career. Saban also had a brief stint with the Cleveland Browns as the DC under Belichick.
On the Air: Do TV play-by-play announcers talk too much?
Welcome back to “On the Air,” in which Sports Media Watch Podcast co-host Armand Broady will offer in-depth breakdowns of broadcasters’ on-air performance and career journeys, plus chronicle broader trends in the industry. Sports media historians know the name Ray Scott. In the 1960s and ’70s, Scott was a prominent voice of NFL coverage on […]
Welcome back to “On the Air,” in which Sports Media Watch Podcast co-host Armand Broady will offer in-depth breakdowns of broadcasters’ on-air performance and career journeys, plus chronicle broader trends in the industry.
Sports media historians know the name Ray Scott. In the 1960s and ’70s, Scott was a prominent voice of NFL coverage on CBS. He called four Super Bowls, including the first two, and the famous Ice Bowl of 1967.
In those days, CBS assigned its NFL announcers to single teams. Scott drew the Packers. Under legendary coach Vince Lombardi, Green Bay won five championships in the ’60s, and Scott’s voice became inextricably linked with the franchise.
He was the master of brevity; no flowery prose, no highfalutin jargon — just conciseness and accuracy. Scott announced games like a stern professor at the front of a classroom, his rich baritone voice providing measured captions. “Starr … Dowler … touchdown.” His position was unequivocal: The audience can see what’s happening. Let the TV cameras do the heavy lifting.
It’s an approach Scott’s pupil and former broadcast partner Pat Summerall adopted. For more than 20 years and across two networks, Summerall worked with analyst John Madden, forming one of the most acclaimed broadcast teams in sports television history. With his animated delivery and constant use of onomatopoeia, Madden gave the broadcasts an uncommon verve, while Summerall anchored the telecasts with his short, deliberate morsels of commentary.
A TV play-by-play announcer exercising such extraordinary self-restraint seems unfathomable in 2025. Host Dan Patrick addressed this topic recently with ESPN “Monday Night Football” voice Joe Buck on the “The Dan Patrick Show.”
Patrick asked, “When did we get to the point where we had to fill all of the time with voices?”
“It should be the reverse,” Buck responded. “Don’t be afraid to not talk. Insecurity breeds overtalking. I can make the case that with the advancements that have been made in audio, there is no more dead air. If I don’t talk, you’re going to hear Aaron Rodgers calling out signals at the line of scrimmage or just good natural sound.”
Buck’s point is valid. Part of the charm of an NFL telecast is hearing the quarterback go through his cadence at the line of scrimmage. Think of Tom Brady’s “GREEN 18,” Dak Prescott’s “HERE WE GOOOOOOO” or Peyton Manning’s “OMAHAAAAA!” To allow the audience to fully appreciate what unfolds pre-snap, the announcers have to be silent, at least sometimes. The viewers can see a receiver going in motion, a linebacker approaching the line to show blitz, or a tailback lined up behind the fullback in the I-formation.
Buck practices what he preaches. Many of his most memorable calls offer few words. When the Giants took a late 4th quarter lead over the Patriots in Super Bowl 42, Buck declared, “Manning … lobs it … Burress … alone … touchdown, New York!” His voice-cracking call of “Diggs … sideline … touchdown!” during the Saints-Vikings 2017 divisional playoff game became an instant classic, not just for his enthusiasm, but for his economy of words.
It should be noted that the word “enthusiasm” has not always been associated with the veteran announcer. For close to a decade, Buck was scorned by viewers and columnists for his dispassionate calls, including his infamous description of David Tyree’s helmet catch in Super Bowl 42. By his own admission, Buck was following the Scott-Summerall template too closely.
“I tried to sound like Pat,” Buck admitted to The Ringer in 2016. “People took that as indifference.”
Summerall is regarded as an all-time great by most observers, but his calls fit within a different era of football and of sports television. Today, Summerall’s play-by-play would be deemed joyless and unemotional. Times change.
While insecurity is a plausible reason for overtalking, there are other possibilities. Many TV play-by-play announcers come from radio, where everything must be explained. Shifting from radio’s descriptive style to television’s caption style can be a daunting task. It is also plausible that TV executives and audiences expect announcers to talk more. Many feel there’s a clear correlation between energy and commentary. Some hold that if the announcer is glad to be working the game, he or she should talk more so as to not appear bored or jaded.
Broadcasting is a subjective field. On television, the rule of “less is more” still applies. Sure, Ray Scott’s laconic style is anachronistic in today’s “information overload” environment, but he captured the spirit of what TV play-by-play is. The industry’s best announcers understand the importance of using the right words, not the most words.
Plus: Unpacking Drew Brees’ second chance at broadcasting
Drew Brees will be a game analyst for Christmas Day NFL coverage on Netflix, according to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic.
Once considered an heir apparent to NBC’s Cris Collinsworth, Brees parted ways with the Peacock network after being panned for an underwhelming on-air performance during the Raiders-Bengals Wild Card game of 2022.
It shouldn’t be surprising that a player of Brees’ stature is getting another chance at broadcasting. He is a future first ballot Hall-of-Famer and some of his NBC work was fine.
What makes Brees’ comeback tour unique is the circumstances surrounding it. For last year’s Christmas doubleheader, Netflix used prominent game announcers from CBS and Fox. But networks like ESPN and Fox are reportedly reluctant to share talent with Netflix this time around, creating room for analysts like Brees. Consider this: If Netflix could get Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady (as they reportedly wanted last year) or Jim Nantz and Tony Romo to lead its broadcasts, would Brees get the nod? It seems unlikely.
Whichever game he calls — Cowboys-Commanders or Lions-Vikings — millions will tune in, providing Brees an opportunity to redeem his once promising broadcast career. On a larger scale, assuming the NFL doesn’t wield its immense power, Brees’ performance could motivate a streamer like Netflix to look past established announcers at other networks and elevate (if only for a couple games) its own voices.
Trump signs order to clarify college athletes’ employment status amid NIL chaos | Sports
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order mandating that federal authorities clarify whether college athletes can be considered employees of the schools they play for in an attempt to create clearer national standards in the NCAA’s name, image and likeness era. Trump directed the secretary of labor and the National Labor […]
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order mandating that federal authorities clarify whether college athletes can be considered employees of the schools they play for in an attempt to create clearer national standards in the NCAA’s name, image and likeness era.
Trump directed the secretary of labor and the National Labor Relations Board to clarify the status of collegiate athletes through guidance or rules “that will maximize the educational benefits and opportunities provided by higher education institutions through athletics.” The order does not provide or suggest specifics on the controversial topic of college athlete employment.
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Beyond the Byline: Mister Softee and the music of my childhood
WILKES-BARRE — On a recent drive through the homeland — Plymouth, Pa. — I turned down Gaylord Avenue, and halfway down, I saw it — a Mister Softee truck. The familiar music of my childhood was playing, and the purr of the generator keeping all the ice cream cold was pouring out of it. […]
WILKES-BARRE — On a recent drive through the homeland — Plymouth, Pa. — I turned down Gaylord Avenue, and halfway down, I saw it — a Mister Softee truck.
The familiar music of my childhood was playing, and the purr of the generator keeping all the ice cream cold was pouring out of it.
And I wasn’t even in the Way Back Machine, yet I was transported back to the early 1960s, and I nearly stopped to get a milkshake.
And just a week later, the Mister Softee sojourn continued at The Cafe in Plains Township, where I found myself sitting across from Michael “Mickey” Waligorski, whose family had the first Mister Softee franchise in the area.
Waligorski was gathering with his classmates of the Plymouth High School Class of 1959 — a really fun group.
Waligorski told us about his father, who secured the rights to Mister Softee franchises in Pennsylvania and most of New York state. I still remember hearing Mister Softee’s music playing from blocks away, giving us kids enough time to convince our parents to give us money for a treat.
The Waligorskis secured their Mister Softee franchise in 1958, with multiple family members operating franchises and trucks across several generations.
When I talked with Waligorski, I told him about how my mother’s heart was filled with compassion for a mentally challenged kid who lived next door. His name was Chuckie.
Every summer day in our neighborhood, the Mister Softee ice cream truck would drive through, dispensing ice cream, milkshakes, sundaes, and smiles to kids in need of their daily sugar fixes. Every day, I would ask my mom for money to get a Mister Softee treat — my favorite was a chocolate milkshake.
My mother would always comply, but always with a condition — I first had to ask Chuckie what he wanted and get it for him. And I did — Chuckie would request his usual — a vanilla cone. Once I delivered that to Chuckie, then my mother gave me the necessary financing for my treat.
But it was a lesson learned, as was the case so many times with my mom. She taught me just about everything — to be kind to people, to respect people’s feelings, to listen, to help, to care. And to love her cooking — oh, how I long for her red vegetable soup with homemade noodles.
These were summer days, and school was out. I would go outside to see who was around. A few of my pals would be gathering on the corner of Reynolds and Second streets.
Sometimes, we would take a walk up Reynolds Street and head down to the creek that ran along the backyards of our houses.
We would go all the way up and then circle around until we came upon the big shovel that was moving mounds of dirt. Strip mining was big in those days. Little did we know the environmental damage that was being done.
We would return to our houses where our moms would prepare a delicious gourmet meal of sandwiches and soup for lunch. We might stick around and watch an episode of Leave It To Beaver, or Ozzie and Harriet before we would return to the street.
We would get up a game of stocking ball, using a “ball” fashioned out of old socks, sewn closed by my mom. We would use wooden bats and play a game in the street.
Sometimes we would seek the shade of my backyard for a game of Wiffle Ball. A ball hit on the lower roof was a double, on the top roof a triple and over the roof a home run.
Now, it was dinner time. Dad was home, and we would sit around the table and have a nutritious meal prepared by my mom — the best cook in the world. Dad would say, “So what did you do today?” I would leave out the Wiffle Ball in the backyard because he knew I had a Little League game at 6 p.m.
After dinner, I would put on my Little League uniform and jump in Dad’s car and head to Wadham Street for my game. My mom and my Aunt Betty (Dad’s sister) were working the refreshment stand with their friends — most with kids on the teams.
The Plymouth Little League field was spectacular — a wooden fence surrounded the diamond and advertising signs were painted on each section. The field sat behind Huber Field, home of the Plymouth High School Shawnee Indians football team.
These were the good old days for sure.
And Mister Softee was always there.
Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.
Now at UCLA, Iamaleava tries to move beyond drama and focus on football
LAS VEGAS (AP) — College football’s future wore a baby blue suit, a gold pin that said “UCLA” and a pair of diamond-encrusted hoop earrings. He glided toward the mic, sat down, then prepared for the grilling about how much money he makes, why he left Tennessee, who betrayed who when he departed, and […]
LAS VEGAS (AP) — College football’s future wore a baby blue suit, a gold pin that said “UCLA” and a pair of diamond-encrusted hoop earrings.
He glided toward the mic, sat down, then prepared for the grilling about how much money he makes, why he left Tennessee, who betrayed who when he departed, and what it all means for the college football world that his story now defines.
Bottom line: If quarterback Nico Iamaleava handles the rest of the season as well as he did with his half hour of Q&A at Big Ten media days Thursday, chances are, UCLA will be good — maybe even very good — in 2025.
“I think, it’s just, keep my head down and be humble,” the 20-year-old lightning rod of a quarterback said. “And try not to let the outside noise affect you.”
If he succeeds at that, he will have more discipline than a great majority of college football fans, experts and journalists who have filled the internet and air waves with timelines and tick-tock analysis of a decision that shook the sport and seemed to say everything about the burgeoning power players wield in a world of name, image, likeness deals and a rapidly rotating transfer portal.
The thumbnail of the story is that Iamaleava was a successful quarterback who led Tennessee to the College Football Playoff last season, then abruptly picked up stakes to head closer to home and play for UCLA.
Money seemed to be the most obvious motive.
Reports circulated that he was looking for a raise — maybe a doubling to nearly $4 million a year — to come back to the Vols. Then, one day last spring, Iamaleava missed practice. Just as abruptly, he was gone.
Tennessee coach Josh Heupel handled it diplomatically.
“Today’s landscape of college football is different than it has been,” he said. “It’s unfortunate, the situation, and where we’re at with Nico.”
Before he’d even enrolled at Tennessee, Iamaleava was causing his share of turmoil. It was his NIL deal with the Vols that triggered an NCAA investigation and a lawsuit by the attorneys general of Tennessee and Virginia in January 2024.
The NCAA settled that lawsuit, and though there aren’t as many questions about who makes the payments to the players (the colleges can do it themselves now), recriminations that flowed when Iamaleava enrolled at Tennessee kept flowing after he made his move to UCLA.
Asked about what triggered his move and exactly when it happened, Iamaleava said it came around the time “false stuff about whether it was a financial thing or not” started coming out that made him “not feel comfortable in the position I was in.”
Then, in a revelation that not everyone appears quite ready to accept, he said moving closer to where he grew up, in Long Beach, California, about 30 miles from the UCLA campus, was the biggest piece of the puzzle.
“My driving factor to come back home was my family, and I hope every Tennessee fan understands that,” he said. “It was really one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make.”
He will not delve into finances, though most of the reporting has shown that Iamaleava will make about as much, or just barely more, with UCLA than he was making at Tennessee.
“All that stuff is for my business team and my agents to handle,” he said. “I just focus on football.”
Among the other questions consuming college football, and that Iamaleava’s saga reflects as well as anyone’s, is how a player who makes more money and generates more hype than anyone else in the locker room can possibly fit on a team that is still, at its core, filled with teenagers whose football lives will end in college.
UCLA’s second-year coach, DeShaun Foster, said he scouted that part when the prospect of Iamaleava coming to Westwood became real.
“He’s a team guy and a family guy,” Foster said. “It just felt good that we were getting the right kind of quarterback.”
From a pure talent standpoint, hardly anyone argues that. Iamaleava was considered one of the country’s top prospects coming out of high school. He threw for 2,616 yards and 19 TDs last year in leading the Vols to the playoffs.
But, as one of the theories about his departure goes, he and his family were less than thrilled about Tennessee’s ability to protect him.
None other than ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit dove into the mix when he said he’d heard Iamaleava’s dad had gone to Heupel in December and said “like, hey, listen, you’ve got to get better at offensive line, better at receiver.”
Speaking not so much about that specific story, but to the realities of football, Foster said he knows keeping things clean in the pocket for Iamaleava will be key to his success.
“If he stays upright, things are going to go the right way,” Foster said.
And if they do, there’s at least a chance Iamaleava could be a one-and-doner at UCLA. He is widely thought to have NFL talent if he improves his mechanics and accuracy — two areas that will be helped by better protection.
During his back-and-forth with reporters, the quarterback brushed aside questions about pro football.
He also said he pays no mind to the billion-dollar questions swirling around the college game every day — all revolving around money, freedom to transfer and other issues that have turned UCLA’s quarterback into a villian in some places, a hero in others, and a player to watch everyhwere.
“I love college football,” he said. “Everything that goes on with my name, that’s not going to change my love for the game. Obviously, everyone has to move on. I’m excited about what’s next for me. But I’m where my feet (are), and right now, I’m a UCLA football player and I’m excited to go to camp.”
College Athlete Profile: Bri Jarvis’ drive powers successful freshman season at St. Mike’s | Sports
Bri Jarvis brings focus and drive to every sport she plays, and during the 2024-2025 academic year, Jarvis took her skill and determination to St. Michael’s College after graduating from BFA-St. Albans. Jarvis, known for her speed and fearlessness on the ice, began contributing to the success of the Purple Knights in her first year, […]
Bri Jarvis brings focus and drive to every sport she plays, and during the 2024-2025 academic year, Jarvis took her skill and determination to St. Michael’s College after graduating from BFA-St. Albans.
Jarvis, known for her speed and fearlessness on the ice, began contributing to the success of the Purple Knights in her first year, tallying one assist, a game-winner, and three blocked shots in 1-0 win against Post on Oct. 12. She scored a goal and was 10-for-19 on faceoffs at Saint Anselm on Oct. 19. She was 6-for-7 faceoffs at Franklin Pierce on Dec. 7, had one assist at Mercyhurst on Jan. 4, and one at Saint Anselm on Jan. 17. She was also named a 2024-25 NEWHA All-Academic.
During her time at BFA-St. Albans High School, she was a three-sport Comet athlete, playing soccer, hockey, and lacrosse.
Bri Jarvis (center, left) was a standout player with the BFA-St. Albans Comet Hockey team.
Greg Bessette
Q&A with Bri Jarvis
What did you enjoy about building relationships with your college teammates? We all came together and believed we had a purpose on the team. That contributed to some big team wins in program history. We all bring different viewpoints, which helped contribute to our success. I value work ethic and believe that hard work and dedication are essential to realizing one’s potential, both individually and as a team. Everyone was willing to push through adversity and succeed. I loved having these girls in my life on and off the ice.
What reflections do you have on the game at the college level? The biggest difference is the intensity and level of competition; the time commitment, combined with the school load and sports, is also more demanding. I play from August to March, and every game is more physical and intense. You have to be mentally and physically prepared. When you’re competing against players who are so driven, they push you to elevate your game.
What did you enjoy about working with your college coaches? Meghan Sweezey was new this year, and playing for her was an inspiring experience. She had a deep commitment to team and personal growth. As a former St. Mike’s alum and founder of Girls 4 Hockey, she has dedicated a significant amount of time to growing women’s hockey at the college level and introducing it to young girls. She has great mentorship and community engagement. She provided us the opportunity to work with Girls 4 Hockey, which gave us the chance to work with young players.
She was a great resource and encouraged personal growth. She focused on the whole athlete, both you as an individual and as an athlete.
It was great to see a female take a Division II college-level coaching position; I feel it’s important in the game. It has a great influence on younger girls, helping them believe they can achieve their goals and find what fulfills them. It instills a sense of pride and purpose in every player on our team to see her step into that role.
Bri Jarvis brings focus and drive to every sport she plays, and during the 2024-2025 academic year, Jarvis took her skill and determination to St. Michael’s College after graduating from BFA-St. Albans.
Courtesy of Bri Jarvis
What’s your most memorable moment from your freshman year? My most memorable moment was in my first collegiate game. We played Clarkson, who’d been in the Frozen Four the year before. Stepping on the ice against them was almost surreal. I felt everything I’d worked for was finally falling into place. Coming from high school, it’s kind of unheard of to step on the ice against a Frozen Four team.
My first collegiate goal was a tying goal to force overtime against St. Anselm. It was memorable to score that tying goal as my first. My teammates were so excited. It felt like I was finally making my mark and contributing to the team in a meaningful way.
What are some of your goals for your sophomore year? I ultimately want to be the best teammate and player I can be. I’ve completed my first year, and I know I will earn the respect of my teammates through the work I do in the offseason, coming back to contribute to more team success and help build the program. I want to be a more effective playmaker and threat on the ice, and now I know the things I need to do and the level I need to reach.
What did you find to be surprisingly fun about being on a college hockey team? I would say personally that playing hockey at the highest level right at home was fun and held significant meaning for me. I play with girls who hold the same values and goals. It lets me showcase the hard work I’ve put in at my home rink in front of my parents, who made this dream possible.
Bri Jarvis races down the rain-soaked field in the BFA-St. Albans Comets’ game against South Burlington on May 28, 2024.
Greg Bessette
How did your time with the BFA-St. Albans Comets help prepare you for college hockey? Luke Cioffi and Jeff Rouleau taught me a great deal and consistently emphasized that hard work beats talent. They held me and my Comet teammates to a high standard every day. That transferred to college. We spent hours on the ice in high school, and they pushed us to be our best and give back to the community. They pushed us to be the best hockey players and the best individuals. That made coming in and meeting all these new people in college, as well as the entire transition, much smoother. They always had the mindset of putting the time in and not being satisfied. They helped me realize what I was capable of and helped me build the discipline, confidence, and work ethic I now rely on in college.
It ties back to Coach Sweezey. They always had us attend SASA practices and work with the youth, and now I help Coach Sweezey with her youth practices. It’s always good to give back, and they helped model that.
What do you enjoy about working with Girls 4 Hockey? It allows me to give back to girls who were like me when I was little. It teaches me a lot about coaching, and it fills me with pride and joy to see the smiles on the little girls’ faces and know that I could be helping them pursue a passion just like I did.
Would you like to thank your family? There’s a special kind of pride I have in being able to play at home in front of my parents, Rachel and Joel. Every shift is more meaningful and reminds me of my parents, who believed in me, dedicated time to me, and helped me take advantage of the opportunities that have been provided to me. Without their sacrifices and encouragement, I wouldn’t be where I am today. My brother, Trey, is my biggest supporter, and without his spending hours to help me grow as an athlete, I wouldn’t be in the spot I am today.
Do you have wise words for younger hockey players? Believing in yourself was a big part of my high school career. Cioffi and Rouleau always said that, and you really need to do it. You need to believe that putting in the extra time when no one is watching is your most significant path to success. Those are the moments that shape what you become when it’s your time. Stick with your passions — the things you enjoy — and trust the process through the ups and downs. The downs will come, but they’ll lead you to the pride you hold within yourself. You want to make yourself proud, especially with the work you put into improving. I have three seasons left in my career, and my biggest piece of advice is to enjoy every moment and not take it for granted. Hold onto the relationships you make along the way! It goes faster than you think!
‘It’s Like One Big Family.’ Penn State’s Adaptive Athletics Is Rebuilding and Expanding a Historic Program
As adaptive athletics continues to gain global momentum, a determined group at Penn State is working tirelessly to ensure the university becomes a national leader in the movement—and they’re doing it with a “big picture” vision and the legacy of a once-thriving program guiding their way as a roadmap. In the wake of the COVID-19 […]
As adaptive athletics continues to gain global momentum, a determined group at Penn State is working tirelessly to ensure the university becomes a national leader in the movement—and they’re doing it with a “big picture” vision and the legacy of a once-thriving program guiding their way as a roadmap.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Penn State’s adaptive athletics program found itself at a crossroads. Once a national model under the direction of coach Teri Jordan, who led the program for over two decades and developed numerous Paralympians, the initiative was left virtually dormant after her 2019 retirement and the onset of COVID-19.
But thanks to the efforts of passionate alumni, coaches, student-athletes and nonprofit supporters, that narrative is shifting dramatically.
One of those alumni is Chuck Sypula, who’s been a leader of adaptive athletics at Penn State, spanning over three decades. His connection began with Jordan in the late 1990s and only grew stronger when he created the program’s first endowment in 2008. That same year, he traveled to the Paralympic Games in Beijing, what he calls an eye-opening and larger-than-life experience.
“To watch these talented, determined, very deserving young athletes from all over the world compete in the Paralympics was just a really life changing experience for me. It’s pretty wonderful,” Sypula said. “I got to see these Paralympians perform in front of 60, 70,000 fans while in Beijing. It was just a remarkable experience. I was hooked at that point.”
Despite its earlier success, the program faced an uncertain future. With zero athletes enrolled and the department moved out of Penn State Athletics and into Student Affairs, it risked fading entirely. Sypula and fellow advocates knew something had to be done.
“A couple alumni associates of mine and I got involved and went to the university and convinced them that the program needed to be back under athletics,” Sypula said. “Pat Kraft made that decision at the time, to bring it back under athletics and that was a huge move, really strong decisions. Our goal, of course, is to not just develop a robust program, but a program that can be really competitive with some of the other colleges in the country, the Michigans, the Illinois, the Alabama, the Arizona who have strong programs for adaptive athletes.”
The result of that push was Rise Above: Friends of Adaptive Athletics, a nonprofit organization founded by Sypula that now works in tandem with Penn State to support and expand the program. The group has taken a comprehensive approach by recruiting athletes, developing scholarship opportunities, and securing funding. But their ambitions go far beyond simply fielding teams.
“We were, in effect, starting from scratch, and we wanted to do it right,” Sypula said. “It meant more than just having athletes to compete, of course. It means developing a student advisor, for example, scholarships for the kids that we were recruiting. There’s a wide gamut of responsibilities that we are undertaking. Our board is all volunteers, a good group of men and women who have a real passion for Penn State and a real passion for adaptive athletics, several of whom are former Paralympians. We were really starting from scratch, really starting not just a sport, but a program.”
Today, Penn State Adaptive Athletics includes sled hockey, wheelchair track and field, and soon, wheelchair basketball, which will be formally announced at the program’s second annual fundraising event this Saturday, July 26, at the Nittany Lion Inn. The evening will be a major celebration and fundraiser for the program, and a testament to just how far it has come.
The sold-out event will feature keynote speaker Guy Gadowsky, head coach of Penn State men’s ice hockey and a staunch supporter of adaptive sports. Gadowsky and his team annually fundraise for the sled hockey program, helping them build a broader foundation through exposure and financial support.
Former Nittany Lion All-American and NFL player Mike Reid will also perform, ahead of a roundtable of legendary football alumni, including Chuck Burkhart, Lydell Mitchell and Steve Smear, to name a few. The Penn State football greats will reflect on their own time at Penn State under Joe Paterno’s “Grand Experiment.” It’s a nod to what Rise Above and Adaptive Athletics are now building: a new kind of experiment centered not only on sport, but character, academics and inclusion.
“There were no corners being cut on the academics, as many football programs back in that day used to do, much to the chagrin of Joe [Paterno] and his staff,” Sypula said. “Now, the grand experiment that we’re relating into … is this idea of developing an adaptive athletics program virtually from scratch. If there’s a common theme throughout all that, it’s the character of the athlete, and that is to say that it’s more than just sport. It’s academics, it’s their presence on campus, it’s the social aspects. It’s a character thing as much as it is an athletic thing.”
Also attending as the hosts of the event, will be Sue Paterno and Dana Harris, Franco Harris’ widow, both of whom have become key figures in the adaptive athletics community. For program director and head coach Brenna O’Connor, their support, and the visibility it brings to the table, is invaluable.
“Every program needs money. We want to continue to be able to offer scholarships to these student athletes. We have expenses, just like everybody else. So, the idea is to get more exposure,” O’Connor said, “A lot of people don’t know we exist, and this is like a big way to show them, ‘Hey, here we are, these are our needs…this is a culmination of this past year’s worth of work, especially through Rise Above. They did most of the leg work. I put my two cents in here but that’s not my background, I’m trying to direct and coach. They’re trying to take care of the money aspect for us, to help us raise funds. They are so passionate about adaptive athletics.”
Max Malec
For O’Connor and the Rise Above board, rebuilding began with a name—and that name was Max Malec. At the third annual Penn State Sled Hockey Classic in January, Malec became the first student-athlete to officially sign with the program since its 2023 reinstatement. That moment marked the launch of a new era.
“When you go to any event that has adaptive sports, the passion is amazing. Everybody’s into it, and they all support one another,” O’Connor said. “It’s like one big family, despite the different shirts that we’re wearing that say Penn State versus Michigan, that sort of thing. So I believe that it’s also growing with the exposure from the Olympic scene, the Paralympic scene. You see more commercials on TV from the Paralympics.
“Our job to get the word out so that we can get that support that other groups have, and university wide too, not just the program within our university, but just the overall picture, the big picture that people are more aware and supportive of these athletes because, hey, they’re just as competitive as any able bodied person. I know what [Malec’s] goals are, and he works hard every time he comes in to do a workout. They’re just working hard, just like anybody else.”
Hailing from North Pocono High School in Lackawanna County, Malec, a first-year broadcast journalism student and adaptive athlete, was born with a rare condition called spina bifida, a congenital disorder where the spine and spinal cord don’t develop properly during pregnancy. The condition has impacted his mobility, however, that hasn’t stopped him from becoming the one of the new faces of Penn State adaptive athletics.
At 11, Malec discovered sled hockey and quickly fell in love with the sport. Over the last two years, he trained and competed with the State College Coyotes, a local sled hockey program founded by DJ and Alexis Wilson in 2016, and a key partner in Penn State’s recruiting pipeline.
Now, Malec is more than just a face of the Coyotes and the Nittany Lions– he’s the foundation of something much bigger.
“I’ve been a Penn State fan my whole life. I’ve been bleeding blue and white since I was a baby,” Malec said. “So, once they started recruiting me, no other schools really recruited me, but I really didn’t care about that. Going here was a no brainer decision, and being able to play sled hockey for a team that I’m playing with people that I consider my brothers and sisters, it’s such a great locker room. And now to consider myself a Penn State student-athlete, just like the kids on the football team or the wrestling team or the hockey team. It’s incredible.
“To be able to reach my goals and work extremely hard using these facilities, it’s such a blessing, and I’m so excited for these next four years.”
His signing was made even more special by the presence of Gadowsky and the entire Penn State men’s hockey team. That same energy carried into the Sled Hockey Classic, where the Penn State student section turned out in full force and over $18,000 was raised. For a still-rebuilding program, that kind of momentum is priceless.
“This program makes it, I don’t want to say easier, in a way, but it makes it more attainable to reach my goals. It kind of really puts it in perspective how attainable it could be,” Malec shared. “To be able to use these facilities that other former Olympic athletes have walked through and trained at is incredible, and I feel almost a responsibility to do right by that. And I think something that will help us in the future is having that, and obviously with Penn State as a brand that is going to go so far with building our program now, getting the university to fully go, like, gung ho and support our program, that’s something that we’re working on, but I definitely think it’s going to happen without a doubt.
“It’s not going to be easy. Nothing easy in life or nothing good in life comes easy, but it’s going to be so worth it when we’re at the top of that mountain, competing with the world, and not only that, but to inspire other schools big and small.”
O’Connor — who started as a part-time coach following her time as a Penn State student-athelete to support another thrower, RJ Shirey — sees Malec’s role as more than athletic. For O’Connor, the Rise Above board and Penn State Athletics, he’s the cornerstone of a program looking to build lasting legacy.
“All the things that I’ve done leading up to this, all the coaching, all the teaching were stepping stones to this place, and I’ve coached a lot of great people. …I’m just blown away that I’m in a position to be able to grow a program and to work with athletes like Max, because he’s inspiring. RJ was inspiring, Esther Faith is inspiring because they could easily be like, ‘Woe is me. This is my lot in life. I have this disability,’ but they’re like, ‘No, I want to be an athlete. I want to do my sport just like anybody else,’ and I love that I get to work with them because I want to help them.
“…I will do everything in my power to give them the opportunity to train and to get to that next level so that they can look back and go ‘We Are…Penn State’ that they were able to have the opportunity here and beyond hopefully to represent Team USA in the Paralympic movement. So I’m just really humbled by this position, this opportunity. It blows my mind every day that I get to do this. And I always tell people I don’t feel like I’ve worked a day in my life. Everything I’ve ever done is stuff that I enjoy, and this is above and beyond anything that I thought I’d be doing.”
Since Malec committed, others have followed. Penn State announced its second signing, Jack Cunningham from Springfield, Pa., and more are on the way—from California, Colorado, Israel, and beyond. The goal is to build full sled hockey and wheelchair basketball teams, in addition to the individualized track and field events that already have roots at Penn State.
For now, Malec continues to train with focus and humility. He’s fueled by a deep sense of purpose and the understanding that he’s carrying a banner not only for Penn State, but for every aspiring adaptive athlete who dares to dream big.
“Having one goal is pretty audacious, and it’s a pretty daunting task. So to be able to get 1% better every day, doing the little things, training, eating right, getting enough sleep stretching, [O’Connor] hammers that home into my head,” Malec said. “But to be able to do those little things and kind of check those boxes off knowing that it’s building to what I ultimately want to do makes it all the more encouraging and makes it all the more driving and motivating to keep going.
“And plus, like I don’t feel worthy of this opportunity that I have, but I’m going to take full advantage of it. I’m so humbled to be a Penn State student athlete and to do right by this program. I feel like I have a moral obligation to achieve those high standards, not only to please a university that I’ve loved ever since I was a little kid, but to build a program that I firmly believe in, that I can see reaching beyond the stars. There’s absolutely no ceiling and no floor for this program. I think the sky’s beyond the limit for this program, and it starts with my class, not just myself, because it’s so much more than self.”
With a growing strong support from the university, alumni and the surrounding community, and thanks to the tenacity of people like O’Connor, Malec and Sypula, the once-dormant program is now thriving again with one practice, one fundraiser and one determined athlete at a time.
“The more people become aware of it, the more people get to understand the character of the families and the kids and what it means to them, the more appealing it becomes. It really is a movement in this country, and it’s really picked up a tremendous amount of steam,” Sypula said.
For more information on the program and to donate, visit gopsusports.com/adaptive-athletics.
