Temple University Athletics
Kevin Bonner Earns CoSIDA's 2009 University Division Rising Star Award
6.1.09 | General
June 1, 2009
PHILADELPHIA - Kevin Bonner, in his first year as an Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations at Temple University, has been named the recipient of the 2009 University Division Rising Star Award by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The award is presented to a University Division member with 10 years of service or less whose work at their institution and service, dedication; energy and enthusiasm to the profession make that individual a "rising star" in sports information.
Bonner, who works as the primary contact for the baseball, golf, and men's and women's tennis teams, joined the Temple media relations staff as the athletic publications coordinator in 2004. The following year, he was elevated to associate director for media relations, a position he held for two years until his promotion to his current position in August 2008.
Besides serving as the media contact for four Owl sports, he also continues to oversee athletic publications and serves as the varsity sport administrator for golf. He also earned his Master's of Education in sports administration from Temple in 2008.
While overseeing Temple's athletic publications office, nine of his 2007-08 media guides were ranked in the Top 25 nationally by CoSIDA with the 2007 Temple Football Media Guide ranked seventh in the country. Two of his media guide covers, the 2007-08 women's basketball and the 2007 field hockey, won Best in the Nation Awards from CoSIDA. His 2008-09 women's basketball media guide earned Best in the District honors.
Bonner also has served as the back-up play-by-play voice of Temple men's and women's basketball on WPHT 1210 AM. He helped found Philadelphia Big 5 Baseball organization and coordinates the weekly and postseason awards for the city's five Division I baseball playing universities.
Prior to his arrival at Temple, Bonner worked at Saint Joseph's University from 2002-04. He began his career as a graduate assistant in the office and was named a full-time assistant the following season. At SJU, he handled the media relations for women's basketball, women's soccer, softball, men's and women's tennis and lacrosse.
The Pitman, N.J., native has been actively involved with CoSIDA in his six full-time years in the profession. He has been a member of the organization's prestigious Academic All-America committee the past four years. In 2008, he designed the 32-page CoSIDA Special Awards Program and this year he created the logo used at the 2009 CoSIDA Convention.
A 2002 graduate of Elizabethtown College with a bachelor degree in computer science, Bonner earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honors and was an all-conference selection as a second baseman on the baseball team. He also served as the sports editor of the school newspaper and worked on the staffs of the school radio and television stations.
