Paul Ridings Receives Southland Conference's Louis Bonnette Sports Media Award
Southland Conference
FRISCO, Texas – Longtime Sam Houston State sports information director Paul Ridings has been named the 2014 recipient of the Southland Conference’s Louis Bonnette Sports Media Award. The honor will be presented during the Southland’s Football Media Day luncheon July 23 at L’auberge Resort in Lake Charles, La.
The Southland’s award, named after longtime McNeese State sports information director Louis Bonnette, is presented annually to an individual that has made an outstanding contribution in the field of sports information, print journalism, broadcasting or other media focused on the Southland Conference and/or its member institutions. The Southland’s sports information directors, athletic directors or other university personnel, and outside media executives nominated worthy individuals for the honor, and the sports information directors made the final selection.
Ridings, a graduate of Texas Christian University, began his sports information career in 1971 at Trinity University, which was a member of the Southland at the time. In 1976, he became the public relations director for the Dallas Tornado, a member of the North American Soccer League. He returned to college athletics in 1980 as the associate sports information director at SMU. In 1988, he became assistant athletic director at Southern Utah State before starting his tenure at Sam Houston in July 1989.
Ridings, who serves as the sports information representative on the Southland Conference Advisory Council, has been at Sam Houston for 24 years, making him the second-longest tenured SID in the league. In the last 10 years, he has headed up publicity efforts for 30 conference championship teams, a pair of FCS National Championship appearances, two NCAA basketball tournament appearances and five NCAA baseball regionals.
“The Southland Conference is honored to present the Louis Bonnette Sports Media Award to Paul Ridings, a very deserving recipient,” Southland Commissioner Tom Burnett said. “It’s difficult to think of another candidate that has served the Conference and his institution better than Paul has. He’s been a great friend to so many of us, and his professionalism during his career has been unmatched.”
The Fort Worth, Texas, native is a third generation public relations practitioner. His grandfather, J. Willard Ridings, who founded the journalism department at TCU, was a charter member of the College Sports Information Directors of America Hall of Fame, while his father, Paul Ridings, Sr., also worked in sports information before running his own public relations firm for more than 30 years in Fort Worth.
"Paul Ridings is a great representation of Sam Houston State and the Southland Conference,” said Sam Houston State Athletic Director Bobby Williams. “He is very deserving of this recognition due to his service and professional leadership to the university and the league."
Ridings is the third recipient of the award. Longtime Southeast Texas sports journalist and retired Lamar sports information director Rush Wood received the award in 2013 while Bonnette was the first recipient of the award in 2012.
Bonnette enjoyed a storied career as the first McNeese State SID, holding the position for 46 years. As SID, he boasted a national record of 516 consecutive Cowboy football games worked. He was inducted into the Southland Conference Hall of Honor in 2007 and the College Sports Information Directors of America Hall of Fame in 2009. He has also been honored numerous times by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association, who recognized Bonnette with its prestigious Mac Russo (1995) and Distinguished Service in Sports Journalism (2002) awards.