April 13, 2021
Brett Marhanka has led the athletics communications efforts at Wheaton College for more than two decades. This year, he was honored for his work by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Over the course of his sports information career, Brett Marhanka has promoted countless Wheaton Thunder student-athletes, coaches, and events. Now, the College Sports Information Directors of America is turning the spotlight back on him with the CoSIDA 25-Year Award, an honor that recognizes professionals who have devoted 25 years to the sports information field.
Prior to working at Wheaton College, Marhanka worked in the sports information offices of Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. and Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana.
“I am grateful for the opportunities I have had in Sports Information/Athletics Communications,” Marhanka said. “I have enjoyed my journey, but I am thankful the last 21-plus years I have been at Wheaton. Because of the mission of Wheaton, everyone on campus works for the same cause. But in Athletics specifically, I have been blessed to work with so many great people.”
Marhanka’s colleagues said the feeling is mutual.
Wheaton Athletics Director Julie Davis, who has worked with Marhanka since 2003, said: “Working with Brett is both professionally rewarding and personally encouraging. He’s a wonderful colleague and friend. He’s dependable, thorough, patient, and will do anything to help me or anyone on our staff succeed.”
“I’ve been lucky to get to spend the better part of a decade now working with Brett,” said Sports Information Assistant Rusty Lindsey. “He has been a great mentor to me and provided a terrific example of what it looks like to excel at this job and make it look easy in doing so. He is always willing to give his time to help our coaches provide a better experience for their student-athletes on and off the court and is a great ambassador for Wheaton Athletics in his relationships across campus.”
Marhanka’s job includes everything from compiling statistics for Wheaton’s various sports to collecting information on each of its athletes, to managing WTSN broadcasts and the content on the Wheaton Athletics website, to issuing press releases, and much more. “I’m still blown away by everything that Brett has his hands in behind the scenes,” Lindsey said.
“Honestly, to be recognized feels very strange,” Marhanka said. “It is my job to promote our student-athletes, coaches, events, our brand, everything that is occurring in the Athletics Department and I love being behind the scenes. I do appreciate CoSIDA taking the time to recognize folks that have put in hard work in this unique field.”
--Emily Bratcher