by Tad Dickman, PGA Tour, Senior Director of Communications / former Mary Washington athletic social media/marketing student assistant
A proud "Girl Dad" to 10-year-old twin daughters Izzie and Julia, a loving husband to Jodi, and an avid collector of sports memorabilia, Clint Often is always busy, and that's before you factor in his role as the assistant athletic director for communications for the University of Mary Washington's athletic department.
As the head of Mary Washington's sports information and marketing department, 2021 marks Often's 25th year working in the school's athletic department, including his sixth as the assistant athletic director for communications. In his role, he oversees the Eagles' sports information office, the athletic website and all publicity for the school's 23 varsity and four team-level programs. There have been amazing experiences and some of the school's greatest athletic moments during Often's tenure, including hosting four national championships at the school's campus in Fredericksburg, Va., and he's been there for it all, enjoying every step during his journey. A winner of 10 national awards for his publications and features, including Best in Nation and several Best Cover awards for Eagle media guides, Often is also active in the professional organizations CoSIDA and VaSID, serving as an all-state team coordinator for the latter.
Some of Often's greatest work is evident in his mentorship of current and past student-athletes. Tad Dickman, a former Eagles basketball player who graduated in 2012, has been working in sports communications a decade and credits Often for getting him started in the sports industry, "I don't know how Clint has enough time in the day to accomplish everything he does, and even so, he always made time to help me learn and grow, and still answers the phone every time I have a question for him," said Dickman, who now serves as the senior director of communications at the PGA TOUR. "I had a great relationship with Clint during my time with the basketball program, but what was most impressive to me was how he was able to cultivate these relationships with student-athletes, coaches and media for 23 different programs. As social and digital media have become the norm for consuming information about our sports programs, Clint has always been proactive in his approach and always wants to deliver the best possible product for everyone involved. We're so lucky to have him and I'm excited that he's being honored for all the behind-the-scenes work he's put in for decades."
Prior to joining the University of Mary Washington in the summer of 1996, Often earned his Master of Education degree from Frostburg State University in Interdisciplinary Studies. A 1994 Bachelor of Arts graduate of Lock Haven University in Journalism/Public Relations (PR/Advertising concentration), Often received an Associate of Arts degree in journalism from Potomac State College in 1992. He received his masters, having served one year as a graduate assistant in the sports information office.
Often also played one year of collegiate soccer at Allegany (Md.) College, earning all-state honors, before playing three seasons of collegiate baseball, at Potomac State and Lock Haven. He worked one season with the Cleveland Indians' AA farm team in Canton, Ohio, in 1994, a season which saw the team double its attendance from the season before.
Jin Wong, the assistant general manager for the Kansas City Royals, worked with Often during his All-American career playing baseball for the Eagles, "Clint is one of the hardest-working individuals I've ever met, and he's always looking for ways to improve and get better," said Wong, who was inducted into Mary Washington's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011. "He's done so much for Mary Washington and always does it with a smile on his face. It was always a pleasure to work with him while I was playing at UMW, but our friendship and relationship has carried on for decades and I'm grateful for his support. For someone who is always looking for ways to help others, it's great to see him being highlighted for everything he's accomplished and all the lives he's touched during his tenure in Fredericksburg."
When he does have a day off, Often loads the car up and takes Izzie and Julia north up I-95, with Capital One Arena or Nationals Park as likely destinations. Some of his favorite experiences occur when cheering on the D.C. sports teams with his girls, like when the Capitals won the 2018 Stanley Cup and when the Nationals went on to win the 2019 World Series. Often is also an avid collector of sports memorabilia and has passed along that passion to his daughters. While his most prized possession is his signed Walter Johnson program page from the Washington Senators' 1925 World Series, some of Often's greatest sporting experiences have come on the campus of Mary Washington, where he's influential in the school's athletic department for the better part of three decades.
