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Tim Tessalone – University of Southern California (Retired)

CoSIDA Lifetime Achievement Award

by Bob Vazquez – Retired SID (UC Santa Barbara, Stanford University, CSUN)/CoSIDA Special Awards Committee member

Retirement has arrived for CoSIDA legendary athletic communicator Tim Tessalone, who has successfully chronicled the success at one of the nation’s elite collegiate sports programs - the University of Southern California.

After 43 years at USC, it’s now time to smell the roses. Take a deep breath. Enjoy the sunrise. Enjoy the sunset. Beach volleyball awaits. Time to enjoy another phase of life and to hear the praise of his colleagues, friends, student-athletes, coaches, administrators and the news media for a job well done.

Tim Tessalone, flanked by his son, Troy, and his wife, Trudi, during the Trojans’ football game against BYU on Nov. 27, 2021 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/ SCNG)

Tessalone’s first official day of retirement from holding his post as Sports Information Director was five months ago on Jan. 5, a chilly Wednesday morning.

“I went for a bike ride down through Hermosa and Manhattan Beaches,” said Tessalone, who served as USC’s sports information director since 1984. “I noticed every beach volleyball court (Tim estimates 70 courts) was being used. I watched and said to myself – ‘I didn’t know this world existed.’ I want to see the world. I just want to live life. That’s what I’m excited about. That bike ride opened my eyes. What is the other world out there?”

His final day (Jan. 1) as an active USC employee meant cleaning out his office of 43 years of tireless work, mountains of books and media guides, and other materials related to the rich history of USC Athletics. When the final day ended, Tessalone had stuffed all his important papers and mementos into two boxes. All the other materials were distributed to the remaining sports information staff.

“I try not to get all sentimental,” said Tessalone. “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened. That’s a quote from Dr. Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss).”

Tessalone will remain as a USC consultant through July 1. He has gained 43 years of USC knowledge which he wants to carry forward.

“They are currently splitting up the duties in the office and doing a bit of restructuring,” said Tessalone. “There’s a lot of USC knowledge in my head so I want to be there for any questions people may have. I won’t come into the office every day but I will be at the games to help. I’ll answer every phone call or e-mail and point people in the right direction. I want to make sure everything we built in sports information, which I think is special, stays that way.”

USC is located in Los Angeles, the No. 2 media market in the country. Tim’s extraordinary public relations skills helped constantly bring USC Athletics (from 1979 to 2022) to the front page of the sports section with other highly successful Los Angeles teams that intensely compete for news coverage. The other teams? They included the Lakers, Dodgers, Rams and UCLA men’s basketball.

“Tim Tessalone is a Hall of Famer in every sense of the word,” noted national broadcaster Tim Brando. “Our congratulations to Tim for a wonderful career.”

“Tim, you are an absolute legend,” said former USC quarterback Matt Leinart. “You are the best in the business.”

Tessalone was born and raised in the Los Angeles area. He graduated from Bishop Montgomery High School in nearby Torrance. From there, he graduated from USC in 1977 with a degree in public relations.

The entire Tessalone family bleeds Cardinal & Gold. His wife Trudi is a USC graduate. His three children (sons Troy and Trevor and daughter Tori) all graduated from USC.

Now, Tim’s retirement list grows daily. Summing up his priorities now, Tessalone notes that he wants to “Live life, hopefully play more beach volleyball, travel, await the arrival of another grandchild who’s on the way, spend time with the wife and family. And, maybe just go to an art gallery, or visit different cities in America.”

It all started in athletic communications for Tessalone in 1977 when he worked as an intern in the sports information office during his senior year at USC. The office staff was small. Only two SID’s and a secretary comprised the Trojans SID office. The internet, computers, social media didn’t exist then. Technology of the day consisted of a typewriter and a mimeograph machine.

“USC was going to expand the office and offered me a job,” said Tessalone. “I initially turned down the job. I wanted to go out and see the real world. I wanted to see what life was about.”

For two years, Tim worked as an account executive in a public relations agency in Los Angeles. Two of his accounts included the Oscars and the Tournament of Roses and Rose Bowl game.

“I then realized my heart was really into the day-to-day world of sports,” remembers Tessalone. “In 1979, the job at USC opened again. I took a 50 percent pay cut and returned to USC. I decided to do this job for two years and then move on. But here I am, 43 years later!”

Tessalone worked as an assistant sports information director for five years under the leadership of another legendary SID, Jim Perry. In 1984, Jim became the sports editor of the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner.

“Jim gave me a lot of responsibilities and was I very thankful for that,” said Tessalone. “Jim was also our radio commentator at the time. He was always in the radio booth and I was in the football press box. Early on, I worked with (then head football coach) John Robinson, who really understood the news media and how to do it right.”

Jim recommended Tessalone for the head duties as USC sports information director to then Trojans athletic director Dr. Richard Perry. And, the rest is history.

Tim’s friends could write a best-selling book based on the plethora of quotes, stories and the accolades Tessalone has received during his 43-year tenure at USC, and now into his first couple months of retirement.

Tessalone has won several awards for his incredible skills as a college sports communicator. He worked 517 USC football games over 43 years. He is a member of the CoSIDA Hall of Fame. In 2018, Tessalone was named to the USC Athletics Hall of Fame which includes many of the great names in college and Olympic sports. At the 2022 CoSIDA Convention in Las Vegas in June, Tessalone will receive a CoSIDA Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to members who have served at least 25 years in the profession who are retiring or leaving the profession.

“I have been truly blessed to work with great people in the USC sports information office,” said Tessalone. “They have done an incredible job from my first day to my final day at USC. Great team work. Everybody has pulled their share. Those who have left have gone on to great success. The people who are there now have done great work. It’s not about me. It’s about them.”

Tessalone also has mentored hundreds of student interns who eventually enjoyed success in many careers including broadcasting, public relations, and the entertainment industry. The list of student media relations interns included Will Ferrell (award-winning actor, comedian, writer, producer).

Calmly and patiently, Tessalone pushed and directed the USC sports information staff to greatness.

In such a long and illustrious career, it’s unfair to pin-point the greatest game, the greatest coach or the greatest student-athletes Tessalone has worked with during the past 43 years at USC. But he distinctly remembers one football game vs UCLA in 1979.

“Charles White won the Heisman Trophy that year,” said Tessalone. “The starting fullback was Marcus Allen. It was a crowded backfield. We had a backup tailback named Michael Hayes. It was late in the game and we were way in front of UCLA. Michael was put into the game. Michael ran more than 50 yards for a touchdown and somersaulted into the end zone.”

It was the only touchdown of Hayes’ USC collegiate career. Hayes celebrated the touchdown as if it was the game winning score.

“I always remembered that play because Michael got his moment,” remembers Tessalone. “That to me signified what college athletics is all about. Every kid gets their moment. That moment might come in a big game or a meaningless game or maybe in practice. But they all get their moment. That to me is what college athletics is all about. That game for Michael resonates for me the most. I’ve been around many great USC games but that really sticks out for me.”

Tessalone, like a California sunset, wants to quietly move on, and let someone new continue to write the rich history of USC Athletics.

“I have been so blessed to work with so many great student-athletes, great coaches and administrators,” he noted. “Everyone was so cooperative in dealing with the news media and really understood the value of working with the media. That made my job as an SID much easier in the second largest media center in the country. My advice to the new SID - don’t forget our history, work hard and envision our future.”

When USC opens its 2022 football season on Sept. 3 against Rice University at United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Tim plans to be there, this time as a spectator.

“It’s time for somebody else to have that fun,” said Tessalone. “I won’t be far away. I’ll probably get the last seat in the far corner of the press box. I’m only a phone call away if they ever need any help.”

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