Welcome to Knight Talks, the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications talk show, produced by students and for stu I'm Kalista Khadaran, a junior studying journalism.

And our guest today is Mr. Phil Stambaugh, whose career inc working with the Atlanta Hawks, the Metro Conference, the Olympi and the PGA Tour.

And now he's an adjunct professo in sports management at Flagler Hi, Phil.

Thank you so much for being here Kalista, thanks for having me as Awesome.

My first question would be, what sparked your passion for sp What inspired your interest in a I think from an early age, I was lucky because both my parents were into sports.

My dad was a swimmer in high sch My mom majored in physical educa here at the University of Florid And so I think they had me in sp by about age eight.

And then I would play different sports based on the season.

I slowly realized I was good but not athletic enough to compete at high levels.

So then I had to figure out what was I going to do to stay i And I played tennis in high scho and then matriculated to golf as I got older, even though play golf when I was younger.

But that's really how I got into And then it was a question of how do I stay in sports?

You're a graduate of the Univers of Florida's College of Journalism Communicat You have a degree in public rela so go gators.

You also earned your master's in administration from Ohio Univers How did these experiences prepare you for a career, you know, with major sports orga And what were some of the most i skills gained in college?

I think at the time I went to University of Florida, there were very few sport manage grad programs out there.

Ohio University was one of about four or five and the best program in the coun for a grad situation.

So when I graduated from the University of Florida, I had two years working in the a department, which I thought was but I didn't think I had enough to go setting resumes everywhere and get a job in sports.

Highly competitive.

Tough field to get into.

It's a lot easier now because th a lot more opportunities in different areas.

I think I learned mainly when I writing skills.

First and foremost, you have to be somewhat of a wri to be in journalism at some degr Even with the age of Twitter, you've got to be a writer.

I think the real thing, though, that you learn and I can't stress this enough, is be a listener.

You learn how to meet deadlines when you're in school.

But being a listener and improving the listening skil is the one thing I think I took away from four ye I had great professors here.

I worked with people and went to school with people that went on to do other great t in sports.

After college, you worked in marketing communic department for the Atlanta Hawks So what did that role entail?

And at the time, was it surreal involved, you know, with an NBA I got to the Atlanta Hawks through my graduate program at O Each student was required to do an internship, and my inte happened to be in Atlanta for th So I wasnt all that far from Ga which was a nice thing.

And I started actually selling season tickets in the su as part of my internship experie and then the whole time I was there, it eventually morph into a job as an assistant in the communications department Is it surreal?

I wouldn't call it surreal.

I remember the first practice I ever went to with the team.

I had to get used to players not missing shots in shootaround I mean, I'm saying, you know, these are professional players.

One year we went 42 and 40.

We c a playoff run the previous season.

The professional game is differe than college athletics, there's no question a It's a lot different now in the NBA than it was when I worked there for two year So I think is it surreal?

No.

You just know that they're just sort of like you.

They used to ask me for $10 and I'm thinking, these guys are making a lot of m and they're asking me an intern for a starving kid in the communications business f It was sort of funny.

And so you then worked as an ass director of communications for the Metro Conference.

What kind of communication conte did you coordinate for that leag Well, I got to the Metro Confere by virtue of working in the NBA.

My boss was a guy named Craig Th who when he hired me, he had moved to Atlanta after being the PR guy for the Kansas City Kings, which is now the Sacramento King And Craig knew of me in the leag He was looking for an assistant.

I was available.

I was already in Atlanta and Craig hired me.

Craig just recently announced his retirement as the commissioner of the Mount Conference, and he was the commi in the Mountain West for about 2 I learned a lot from Craig working for him in my short time at the Metro Co but working for a conference office was great.

You didn't have the highs and lows of working for an indiv or school.

All you cared about was make sur you coordinated the people in th The eight teams we had and the communications people with each school make sure they got their work to central office, which was in Atl In 1984, you were a media liaiso for the Summer Olympic Games.

What led to this opportunity and what did you do in this capa I was very fortunate.

When I worked for the University of Florida, one of the sports information directors was a guy named Randy and he had left Florida and gott as the communications director for USA Swimming.

And he called me on the phone and asked me, I need help.

We've got the Olympics in Los An I'm trying to staff swimming and diving venue.

And I thought of you and wondere if you'd be interested in doing And I said, absolutely.

And everything was paid for.

All I had to do was be there.

It was quite an experience made by the fact that swimming and diving had a lot of Gators at that time on the U.S. team.

So that was pretty neat.

But I was the liaison actually f and I was responsible for coordinating the interviews.

Whether that's getting somebody who had won a gold meda I had to meet him at 5:00 at the Olympic Village at a cert so they could be on Good Morning or just the thrill of winning.

Once they got out of the pool, I was literally the first person to meet them and take them over to the interviewer, which was a lady, Olympic swimmer named Dian She once swam the English Channe I believe.

They wanted them completely out of the pool.

They didn't want them to hold of or anything.

They want them wet.

They wanted the feeling of them just winning.

And so it was really neat to be But swimming and diving at the 84 Olympics, I think it still holds true in every Olympics.

You either have swimming or divi every day of the two weeks of the Olympics except for the opening ceremonie So I was always busy.

You then moved to Jacksonville a as a stockbroker for a number of What spurred the shift to the financial industry and did your background help with this transition?

I think what really helped me was that my dad was already a st and he suggested it.

He said, we're going to open an in Jacksonville, Florida, Phil.

I know you liking sports and like what you do, but I think this may be somethin you ought to try.

So he suggested that.

I had no real ties to stay in At at that time.

And so I moved to Jacksonville, I already knew some people from that were there, and it eventual helped me get my job at the PGA Tour in an indirect way.

Wow.

That's amazing how things kind of just always come togethe I think being a communications m really helps in the financial se industry because people are entr with their money and if you communicate properly it makes things a lot easier, I I agree.

Being in Jacksonville, you were by, you know, so many golf cours So how did you get your start with the PGA Tour?

Well, again, it's the Florida Alumni Network, a fellow who wor at the PGA Tour knew of me from undergrad and he knew I was in Jacksonvill And he thought of me because he I had a extensive sports backgro And he says, we've got an openin He called one day, said, We've got an opening that I thin really good at if you'd be inter in coming out and talking to us.

And I'm not sure actually in tho ever interviewed another person.

So they offered me the job.

I said, I can start in two weeks and I was off and running for 26 That is amazing.

But it was the Florida alumni ne that really helped.

Yes, that's amazing.

And so as a media official for the PGA Tour, how did you help promote and publicize the golfers in tou Well, most of my role over 26 years was on the Champions Tour, which is players over 50.

I did work the occasional PGA Tour event with the young guys, but we had the guys over 50, the legends of the game, quote u And so golf is a niche sport.

And when you're talking about the Champions Tour, you're carving a smaller niche among a niche.

So I had to be creative in trying to get my players some in a tough environment.

Because some of the cities we went to are big metro areas.

And you're competing for the spo in so many areas and it only goes so far.

So I had to be creative and real with some good pitches.

Yes.

You've interviewed many golfers over your 26 years with the PGA such as Fred Couples, who was ra number one in the world in 2013.

Do you keep in touch with any of those athletes by ch You know, I really don't.

I keep mainly in touch with peop I used to work with at the tour.

I see four or five of those people quite a I'm still involved in golf, amateur golf in Jackson through the Jacksonville Golf Organization, but I don't really talk to the p much.

I might send them a text.

I've got all their numbers still, might send them a text after they win or something, and they'll get back to me.

Say, thanks, Phil, appreciate it But no, I don't bug them.

I've had 26 years out there.

I don't need to keep calling the and whatnot.

And plus, you've worked so close with those that you do keep in t I understand you've built that connection, that friendship Yeah.

So what were some of the biggest or your biggest challenges, rath Everybody's battling for exposur All communications professionals And when you get in some areas where you've got the NBA, you've you've got NFL, you've got two major colleges in It's pretty hard once we roll in for a week at a golf tournament to still battle for your little, quote unquote, pound of flesh.

I was fortunate because on the Champio we had big name players.

We had Arnold Palmer still, we h Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tom Watso So my 26 years, the balance of t I had star power and I was able to do anything.

After leaving the PGA Tour, you became the director of commu for Secret Golf.

What is this organization and what did you oversee in that Timing was sort of right for Sec I was near the end of when I wanted to quit at the PGA And one of our players, two-time major champion winner Steve Elki from Australia, came to me and h Phil, I'm winding down my career and I'm starting a company calle Golf, which was a subscription b company where he had a group of 12 to 15 tour players, LPGA, PGA, champions, that he had under contract to film instructional content.

And then they sold that as a subscription to anybod And so my job was to launch his get it up and going.

Explain to people what Secret Go So I did that for about two year for Steve, and then I bowed out.

He had it up and going.

He didn't need me anymore.

You're an accomplished writer, publishing on PGATour.com, PGA.c golfchurch.com, in TIME Magazine and in Golf Week.

When you look back, which of the give you the most pride?

You know, I really think I menti the Champions Tour had star powe but I always like finding that player that had a great story to tell a and writing about him and getting his story told.

I used to tell first year player I'd do a little seminar and talk before the season started.

And I always said, Fall in love with your story.

Don't be afraid to tell your sto All of you came different ways t this tour, to play golf at a hig Don't be afraid to tell people things about your that will be interesting for the to write about so that once you 65, and I'm interviewing you as a first round leader, you'll be able to tell what you're all about as a perso So I carried that over to writin I used to do features on players for things, and it was always the guys that did get a lot of n that had a story to tell that I got the most out of.

That's great.

And, you know, that kind of ties back in to wha you said earlier about, you know, being a listener overa Correct.

I can't emphasize that enough.

Y About being a listener.

In 2019, after serving as a guest lecture you became an adjunct professor at Flagler College in Saint Augu What do you enjoy about teaching sports management and do you miss life on the road with the PGA Tour?

Well, the opportunity at Flagler was sort of interesting.

I found out that a former colleg athletic director had retired in Saint Augustine, and I ended up going to lunch wi And he said, Phil, I think you'd be a good teacher.

Said, I'm sort of winding down m and I don't want to really teach I think you'd be good filling in Let me introduce you to the head of the department.

And I had never thought about teaching before.

So he introduced me to the head of the department.

He said, Well, why don't you try guest lecturin So I did that for two semesters.

And then he left Flagler to go s a sport management program at Guilford College up in North And the new person that came in, I had to reintroduce myself to h but she said, We're going to have an opening here as an ad and I thought you'd be pretty go based on the feedback I've gotte So I had never taught before and it was a tough first year because you're prepar you're doing a lot of work.

But after three years, I sort of got my syllabus and my lesson plans down and it' but the impetus for getting into I think, was sort of my ability after 30 years in the business, to give back and teach these kids and Flagler 2600 stud It's a small, private, liberal arts school in Saint Aug with a really good athletic prog We've got kids from all over the and it just is very fulfilling to see some of my students go on and succeed in sports and some in other countries.

It's really neat.

Well, they've had an amazing tea So what advice would you share with those who want to break int sports entertainment field?

Well, I think there's no substitute for getting experience early.

I waited until I was about to st my junior year here at Florida before I started working in the athletic department.

And I worked really two years.

So the early experience really h Sports is the thing you've got to have a lot of pass You've got to have some level of writing ability or you're just not going to make But the early experience is the main thing that you've got to build on that I worked a tournament with this kid named Adam Blough from the University of Iowa, and said he started in the athletic when he was a freshman.

And I thought, Wow, I was two years behind the eight starting as a junior at Florida.

You're doing the right thing.

So I always stress that to kids when I talk to them.

I said, get as much experience a and it is invaluable.

It builds relationships, but you to have the passion to do it in Its a little bit of a different Being that you're so experienced in the sports industry and you've seen how media has gr so rapidly over the years, are there any trends that you've that have changed and has drastically shifted since your time being in?

No question about that, Kalista.

For instance, my textbook at Fla I teach out of a textbook very l I try not to use it, but we have to cover over 15 wee we have to cover some basic things of an intro to sport comm class, and it's constantly being even from the last time I taught Things are changing.

Things move so fast now in the n a lot of it's because of a phone that we carry People covering the Gators are t as the game is going on.

When I worked in the business, we never had that.

It was you got done with the gam you got quotes from the coach, maybe the leading player, and you go back and write your s And now the need for speed is the ultimate thing.

And do you see this as like an a or disadvantage for people that are just now entering into the world of sports communi I think it's a little bit of bot I think that the quicker you can get things o and still have them be accurate, because I still think accuracy counts for a lot.

It used to be you needed to be a before you were first.

Now it seems a lot of people put that they want to be first rathe than being accurate, which I don gives our our business a very go There's a lot of misinformation out there on the Internet and on And I think to maintain your int as a journalist, you've got to be accurate and then be first in that order.

So I personally come from a family that loves sp specifically basketball.

And even though I don't watch te basketball, I have gone to a few with my brother, but how differe is the game of basketball now compared to when you were in with the Atlanta Hawks?

Well, I think the game is different in the three point line has changed the way the game is played.

There are bigger guys that can shoot three pointers, just like a free throw now.

I mean, and it's crazy to watch and think back to when I worked at the league and the game was m centers were back to the basket.

There were bigger centers.

You fed the ball inside.

It was a more physical game.

The game that's played now is much more like a European game where you have big guys that can really shoot.

Every game in the NBA now is a s we didn't have all the glitz and glamor, the pyrotechnics goi We had less advertising on the c and the boards around the court.

It's just the marketing people t and it's changed the whole conce I think it's changed it for the but it's definitely different th I was there.

Yes.

As my father says, no one attacks the basket anymor That's right.

So in that role, what was the le of adaptability you had to have or the transitions you had to go One of the fun things and not so fun things about my j is when I was in the field, on t no two days were the same.

As much as I tried to make them I could only plan for so much.

And I'll give you an example.

I was in Indianapolis.

It was Saturday night before, and we're finishing a final round is going to be Sun And the news breaks that Bobby Knight is getting fir Well, I knew the next day all the media that were covering my golf tournament, we're going in Bloomington for the press con Couldn't do a thing about it.

And, you know, we finished the tournament, but I didn't have many bodies in covering the final round when the putt went in.

It was just a different experien Same thing.

I was in Seattle, Washington, and a legendary coac named Don James, same thing.

It's Saturday.

Don James is getting fired the n And right there in Seattle, I just knew and I had media almost apologizing to me like, P we're not going to be here tomor We're sorry.

And I completely understood.

But I saw tragic things happen.

I saw a player die.

I had an official die one year good things that happened, when I say every day is differen Different things, what would hap Or I'd find out about, you know, a player celebrating some milestone in his career.

So there were good and bad, but no two days were the same.

So looking back over your career did you accomplish everything th set out to do or did you make th that you had wanted to make?

I think so.

I certainly got to travel a lot and I would have never done that had I not worked for the PG I figured out that I went to eve in every major city in the US over the course of 26 That's amazing.

I don't know if that's true.

I should be patted on the back for that, but certainly it gave me the opportu to see how our country has a variety of The Northeast is totally differe the Southwest or the Pacific Nor And to experience that time, because when you're at a tournam you're in a city for a week.

I used to think, I don't know how anybody in my b works in baseball because you're 162 games, 81 of them at home.

You're two days here.

Then you're gone to another city then you're back home.

I didn't know how they did it.

Now, when I worked in the NBA, I don't know how the players did because they're playing 82 games 41 of them at home.

And you could always tell just the travel would get to be the physicality of playing the g and going up and down the court.

But you could always tell in the when you've got two teams that had played the night before that were traveling home, you could always tell because they would be tired.

You would see it on the court.

A lot more fouls called.

That to me is is something that I'll never for is just how do these guys do it?

So after spending so many years, I guess, getting insight on golf or just sports in general, are you at a point now where you can actually watch spo without maybe critiquing it or actually enjoying it?

I think I probably do enjoy it, but it's hard for somebody that's been in the business 30 y not to think of all the things going on behind the scenes.

And I still have quite a few peo that work in the industry, so I'll hear a little tidbits th They'll tell me things, so I sort of keep tabs on things and I laugh at it, but I do enjoy my sports.

So that's amazing.

You are an adjunct professor rig And you know, aside from inside of the classro is there anything that you do outside of the classroom?

Yeah, I think over the time I've sort of helped mentor four or five men and women in the bus and it's been very fulfilling to see where their careers have I've tried to give them some of that I told you on our show toda and it's very neat to see their careers and where they are.

Thank you so much for your insig in the short time that I've gotten to speak with y I know that, you know, you mentioned how so many people just reached and offered you these opportunit So that shows that you have that Well, thank you.

It was great being a guest, Kali Thank you.

Thank you to our viewers for joi And until next time, goodnight.