Southern University Sports Information Director Kevin Manns (center), receives the inaugural Urban Sports News College Sports Information Director of the Year Award from Margo Posey (left), representing Urban Sports News and USN staff writer Rev. Henry Bailey, during the 34th State Farm Bayou Classic. Manns was selected from a list of 36 sports information directors from the SWAC, MEAC, PAC 10, SIAC, Sunbelt, and Conference USA. The award, designed to recognize those in sports who work behind the scenes, is part of a series of projects that will result in a sports exhibit in 2009.

Urban Sports News names Manns College SID of Year

John Posey, publisher and CEO of Urban Sports News (USN), announced the selection of Southern University, Baton Rouge Sports Information Director Kevin Manns, as its first College Sports Information Director of the Year. Manns was selected from 36 SID's in the SWAC, MEAC, PAC 10, SIAC, Sunbelt and Conference USA. Manns received the award during the Bayou Classic activities.

"It is with great pleasure that we present this award to Kevin," said Posey who was assisted in the selection by Henry Bailey, the Urban Sports News staff. "We work with sports information directors from every conference throughout the year and no SID gets more done with so few resources than Kevin. He is a professional and a class act week in and week out. Kevin is a problem solver and makes our work easier."

The award program is the launch of a series of projects designed to recognize those who work behind the scenes in sports to make things happen, Posey said. "We have done an educational booklet, "Portraits in Excellence," that feature positive role models. This was distributed in schools throughout the Metroplex. We also plan to launch a sports exhibit in 2009."

Urban Sports News provides coverage of black college football, softball, baseball and track & field. USN also covers most major pro sports and distributes features and images through its subsidiary, BSPIN New Service.