Mike Moran, 78, U.S. Olympic public relations legend, passed away on Tuesday
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
We are sad to report that Mike Moran, 78, a longtime communications and public relations executive with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and the Colorado Springs Sports Corp passed away on Tuesday.
In his role with both organizations, Moran was a friend to wrestling and worked often with wrestling athletes, coaches and staff.
Moran spent almost a quarter-century as a spokesman and chief communications officer for the USOPC (then the USOC). He helped tell the story of Olympic athletes, including wrestlers, and played a huge factor in the growth and success of the U.S. Olympic movement.
After leaving the University of Colorado for the USOPC, Moran helped create an industry segment for U.S. Olympic public relations and communications professionals. At the time he joined the USOPC, individual sports did not often have staff members doing full-time communications work. Moran, and later his USOPC colleague Bob Condron, invited college sports information directors to assist at the Olympic Games and Olympic Festival. This led to the development of public relations and communications positions at the National Governing Bodies in the U.S. Olympic movement. Currently, a majority of NGBs have these positions, with many NGBs having multiple staff members working in this important role.
Reporter's personal note: Mike Moran was a mentor and supporter of mine during my 32-plus years at USA Wrestling. I learned a lot from Mike, and could always reach out to him. He was a master at public speaking, and handling the spokesperson role, especially in times of crisis. He was an early advocate of developing crisis management plans for sports organizations, and insisted that the communications staff leader must have a seat at the table for all important decisions by sports companies. He was a historian who was excellent at story telling. While at the Sports Corp, Mike always helped promote USA Wrestling and its events held in Colorado Springs. He is already missed.
Below are some excerpts of articles published about Mike today.
The Sports Examiner: Lane One: USOC’s transformative spokesman, Mike Moran, passes at 78
by Rich Perelman
It’s always sad to lose a friend.
It’s worse when a giant in his field leaves too early.
That was Mike Moran, the tall, elegant and ultra-professional spokesman for the United States Olympic Committee from 1979 to 2003, who passed away from complications related to pneumonia at 1:25 p.m. on Wednesday (7th) at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
He was, in many ways, a living link between the USOC as it had been prior to the passage of the Amateur Sports Act of 1978 (now the Ted Stevens Olympic & Amateur Sports Act), and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee of today, headquartered in Colorado Springs.
Read complete Sports Examiner story
Colorado Springs Gazette: Longtime USOC, Sports Corp. media professional Mike Moran dies at 78
by Kate Shefte
Mike Moran, a longtime sports media and public relations professional on the international stage, died Tuesday afternoon at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs of pneumonia complications. He was 78.
Moran spent 25 visible years with what is now called the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee. He retired in 2003 as chief communications officer and the USOC’s principal spokesman.
He went on to serve as senior media consultant for The Colorado Springs Sports Corp. The organization stages The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, The Rocky Mountain State Games and The Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame inductions and promotes many other events.
Read complete Gazette story
SI: RIP Mike Moran, a Presence in Rocky Mountain Sports World for 55 years
by David Plati, Associate AD/Sports Information
BOULDER — Mike Moran, who served as sports information director at the University of Colorado for 11 years and went on to a prestigious career as the chief communications officer and the principal spokesman for the United States Olympic Committee, passed away from a short illness Tuesday afternoon in Colorado Springs. He was 78.
His professional career in athletics would span some 55 years, highlighted by being the chief spokesman for the USOC for a quarter century (1978-2003) and the Olympic games starting in Lake Placid in 1980 through Salt Lake City in 2002. He previously had served as the SID at Nebraska-Omaha and Colorado, and for the last 17 years, was involved in major consultant work, including as the senior media consultant for the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation as well as serving as a keynote speaker and emcee for numerous sports events.
In 2002, the USOC honored him with its highest award, the General Douglas MacArthur Award, as he joined a select group of recipients that included Nobel Peace Prize Winner and former U.S. Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger, former USOC President and Secretary of the Treasury William E. Simon, New York Yankees principal owner George Steinbrenner, former USOC President William Martin, and 1936 Olympic sprinter Marty Glickman.
Read complete SI story
In his role with both organizations, Moran was a friend to wrestling and worked often with wrestling athletes, coaches and staff.
Moran spent almost a quarter-century as a spokesman and chief communications officer for the USOPC (then the USOC). He helped tell the story of Olympic athletes, including wrestlers, and played a huge factor in the growth and success of the U.S. Olympic movement.
After leaving the University of Colorado for the USOPC, Moran helped create an industry segment for U.S. Olympic public relations and communications professionals. At the time he joined the USOPC, individual sports did not often have staff members doing full-time communications work. Moran, and later his USOPC colleague Bob Condron, invited college sports information directors to assist at the Olympic Games and Olympic Festival. This led to the development of public relations and communications positions at the National Governing Bodies in the U.S. Olympic movement. Currently, a majority of NGBs have these positions, with many NGBs having multiple staff members working in this important role.
Reporter's personal note: Mike Moran was a mentor and supporter of mine during my 32-plus years at USA Wrestling. I learned a lot from Mike, and could always reach out to him. He was a master at public speaking, and handling the spokesperson role, especially in times of crisis. He was an early advocate of developing crisis management plans for sports organizations, and insisted that the communications staff leader must have a seat at the table for all important decisions by sports companies. He was a historian who was excellent at story telling. While at the Sports Corp, Mike always helped promote USA Wrestling and its events held in Colorado Springs. He is already missed.
Below are some excerpts of articles published about Mike today.
The Sports Examiner: Lane One: USOC’s transformative spokesman, Mike Moran, passes at 78
by Rich Perelman
It’s always sad to lose a friend.
It’s worse when a giant in his field leaves too early.
That was Mike Moran, the tall, elegant and ultra-professional spokesman for the United States Olympic Committee from 1979 to 2003, who passed away from complications related to pneumonia at 1:25 p.m. on Wednesday (7th) at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
He was, in many ways, a living link between the USOC as it had been prior to the passage of the Amateur Sports Act of 1978 (now the Ted Stevens Olympic & Amateur Sports Act), and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee of today, headquartered in Colorado Springs.
Read complete Sports Examiner story
Colorado Springs Gazette: Longtime USOC, Sports Corp. media professional Mike Moran dies at 78
by Kate Shefte
Mike Moran, a longtime sports media and public relations professional on the international stage, died Tuesday afternoon at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs of pneumonia complications. He was 78.
Moran spent 25 visible years with what is now called the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee. He retired in 2003 as chief communications officer and the USOC’s principal spokesman.
He went on to serve as senior media consultant for The Colorado Springs Sports Corp. The organization stages The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, The Rocky Mountain State Games and The Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame inductions and promotes many other events.
Read complete Gazette story
SI: RIP Mike Moran, a Presence in Rocky Mountain Sports World for 55 years
by David Plati, Associate AD/Sports Information
BOULDER — Mike Moran, who served as sports information director at the University of Colorado for 11 years and went on to a prestigious career as the chief communications officer and the principal spokesman for the United States Olympic Committee, passed away from a short illness Tuesday afternoon in Colorado Springs. He was 78.
His professional career in athletics would span some 55 years, highlighted by being the chief spokesman for the USOC for a quarter century (1978-2003) and the Olympic games starting in Lake Placid in 1980 through Salt Lake City in 2002. He previously had served as the SID at Nebraska-Omaha and Colorado, and for the last 17 years, was involved in major consultant work, including as the senior media consultant for the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation as well as serving as a keynote speaker and emcee for numerous sports events.
In 2002, the USOC honored him with its highest award, the General Douglas MacArthur Award, as he joined a select group of recipients that included Nobel Peace Prize Winner and former U.S. Secretary of State Dr. Henry Kissinger, former USOC President and Secretary of the Treasury William E. Simon, New York Yankees principal owner George Steinbrenner, former USOC President William Martin, and 1936 Olympic sprinter Marty Glickman.
Read complete SI story
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