Buchan leaves Wake to become Tech's new SID

Dean Buchan was recently hired as the new Sports Information Director amidst a summer of changes in the Athletic Association (AA). Buchan's position is responsible for handling the media, promoting student athletes, and preparing them for taking interviews. The AA acts as a liaison between the media and the athletes, as well as handling campus publicity, credentials and statistics for games.

"One of the reasons that I took this job was due to the direction that Dan Radakovich is taking this program. He is very much a forward thinker, and I like his ideas of trying to be accessible to the media," Buchan said.

Last season, the AA was responsible for promoting Calvin Johnson for several postseason awards, including the Heisman Trohpy. This season, they are doing the same thing with running back Tashard Choice. The AA also promotes players for other postseason awards by sending out game videos to awards committees and marketing players in other ways.

Currently, linebacker Philip Wheeler is up for the Bronco Nagurski award as well as the Rotary Lombardi award. Punter Durant Brooks is up for the Ray Guy award, while defensive back Jamal Lewis is up for the Jim Thorpe award.

"All of our marketing projects are more or less behind the scenes. For example, the Sports Information office sometimes gives publicity for the Heisman trophy award as well as other awards. However, those awards should not be about the sports information office, but completely about the student."

Buchan began his career at UNC Wilmington as a student assistant in 1982, was promoted to Interim Sports Information Director. He then moved on to East Carolina in 1987 as their associate sports information director and publications coordinator.

In 1990, Buchan was tabbed the sports information director at Kansas and was there for 10 years, until he took on the Sports Information Director role at Wake Forest. While at Wake, Buchan handled the media during last season's Cinderella season in football and multiple NCAA tournament runs by the basketball team.

"The one thing that I have found out in my short time here is how close the schools are academically. All of the student-athletes are intelligent, well-spoken, and do not need much training for the media," Buchan said.

Buchan will attempt to help athletic director Dan Radakovich promote Tech sports and raise revenue to cut the deficit.

"We want to make our athletes and coaches accessible, and do the things necessary to make that job easier. It is our feeling that there is a tremendous amount of competition in Atlanta, due to the pro teams in the area. Being in Atlanta helps [sell the program] and there is no question about it. There is a tremendous amount of media right here in our backyard, and there is a great product that we are trying to sell," Buchan said.

Buchan's learning curve may be less steep due to the amount of time that he has already spent working with Tech's other SID's. In seven years, Buchan has run into them on several occasions.

"When you work in the ACC, the ACC is to some extent one big family. You get to meet people from all 12 schools, and I knew several people within the Tech department for a long time, so that made the transition much easier."