Rob Knox: 2023 CSC Mary Jo Haverbeck Trailblazer Award Winner
Rob Knox has earned some major recognition for his efforts in sports communications. Knox, Thurgood Marshall College Fund senior director of strategic communications, is the 2023 recipient of the Mary Jo Haverbeck Trailblazer Award presented by the College Sports Communications.
The award recognizes a person who has worked to increase the diversity within the athletic communications profession and is a pioneer In the field of athletic communications who has mentored and helped to improve diversity within college sports communications. Knox, a Lincoln University (of Pennsylvania) alumnus, has been a ground breaker and supporter for African Americans and women in college sports.
Rob Knox, Senior Director of Strategic Communications, Thurgood Marshall College Fund; 2023 CSC Mary Jo Haverbeck Trailblazer Award Winner
“Being named the 2023 Mary Jo Haverbeck Award recipient is humbling and beyond my wildest dreams,” Knox said. “I am honored for this recognition. I’ve always been passionate about providing opportunities for women and mentoring them. I’ve been blessed to be in spaces that I used to dream about so being able to leverage that to help women enter those same spaces and rooms has been one of the best highlights of my career.”
Knox certainly made a huge difference in publicizing and promoting sports. His career in athletic communications covers 17 years including stops at UNC Greensboro (associate athletic director for strategic communications, 2020-22), Towson (associate director of media relations, 2015-20), Coppin State (sports information director, 2013-15) Kutztown University (sports information director, 2009-11) and alma mater, Lincoln University (sports information director, 2004-09). Knox was the 2018-19 president of College Sports Communications (formerly CoSIDA) and just the second Black president in the organization’s history, which was accomplishment.
“It’s the best organization on the planet and I was fortunate to be part of its growth and transformation by serving on committees and volunteering on panels,” Knox said. “It was a blessing to lead the organization as the second Black president in its history at the time. Then to learn that the first CoSIDA Black president was Bob Smith, a Lincoln grad like myself, was amazing. To be able to follow in his footsteps as a Lincoln man meant everything to me. He laid the foundation so that others could blaze the trails and I was fortunate to be able to stand on his shoulders and deepen those footsteps. His legacy in CoSIDA is special and I was happy to be able to accept his long overdue Hall of Fame induction along with Jess Poole this past summer in Las Vegas. By far one of the highlights of my career.”
Knox gained a lot of knowledge and experience as a sports publicist at Lincoln U. He was able to get national coverage for one of the country’s oldest Historically Black Colleges and Universities. His exploits led to his induction into the Lincoln University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015 and to receiving Lincoln’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2017.
“I’m a proud graduate of Lincoln and it fuels my passion every day,” Knox said. “Being considered a HBCU legend is surreal to me because I’ve always strived to do the right thing and implement the lessons my parents instilled in me of being kind and reaching back.
“I am blessed to work with an organization like Thurgood Marshall College Fund who champions the ambitious spirit. I love the fact that I get to impact HBCU students through the work I do now with telling their story from a diverse, inclusive perspective. To know that I am working with a purpose and making a difference in the lives of HBCU students is something I don’t take lightly and means so much to me. Attending Lincoln has played a significant role during my career growth as an intercollegiate athletics communicator and sports writer.
“Lincoln instilled in me that solid foundation of a strong work ethic, passion, preparation, attitude, and effort. In addition to offering a safe space for my personal development, attending Lincoln provided intentional, intrusive, and focused resources dedicated to my academic success and mental well-being. Everything that I’ve accomplished I owe to Lincoln.”