I am sure you have had the same questions I have had about my role with the South Bend Tribune in the last three months.
“I thought he was promoted? Why is he still writing full-time? What’s a ‘Sports Content Coach’ even do?”
Trust me, it’s been a mouthful trying to explain it to everyone. It’s usually a multi-sentence journey that ends with the other person just nodding their head, saying ‘OK’ and clearly not understanding most of what I just explained.
Well, it became a lot clearer with the start of Kyle Smedley at the Tribune Monday.
In late March ― about 48 hours after Saint Joseph boys basketball had won the state title, actually ― I was offered the job I am currently in now: Sports Content Coach. In layman’s terms, it’s an editor position. My new role is to oversee the high school sports coverage from the five newspapers that our part of the company ― the Center for Community Journalism ― owns. That’s The South Bend Tribune, The Journal & Courier in Lafayette, The Star Press in Muncie, The Herald-Times in Bloomington and The Courier & Press in Evansville.
I accepted the job, of course. Only one issue with that: it left the Tribune without a full-time high school sports reporter. So, I pulled double duty all spring, which made it seem to the outside world like I had never taken a promotion to begin with.
Trust me, I felt it.
I have to give credit to the writers around me in South Bend. Scott Davidson stepped up even in his part-time role. Mike Berardino and Tom Noie assisted where they could around their Notre Dame obligations. Gayle Bell held the fort down many nights when I was scrambling around in “reporter mode.” Michael Clubb shot some great photos, and Tim Creason and John Mersits were essential freelance help as the chaos of IHSAA spring sports season raged on.
But that didn’t mean there weren’t some long days. Wake up at 7 a.m. Saturday, don’t stop working until 2:30 a.m. Sunday-type days. That’s the beauty and the curse of how the IHSAA sets up its postseason schedule.
On top of that, I had to learn a new position with much more responsibility ― and also lead a job search that had 60-plus applicants within a week of posting.
Coffee and Celsius (an energy drink) have become my best friends lately.
Like every chaotic stretch on the calendar, though, the light at the end of the tunnel eventually came. We all survived. Dare I say thrived, given our resources. Not just in South Bend, but my entire team across the state delivered excellent coverage in the homestretch of the 2024-25 school year. We have some really talented journalists in this state, in case you didn’t know.
One of them is who we just hired in South Bend. I have no doubt Kyle Smedley is about to elevate the coverage I did the last two years. It’s going to be fun to watch him grow as a journalist in his first “real job” out of college. I wanted to be able to hire the best candidate possible, and I think we’ve done that with Kyle.
So, what does this mean for me now? While I will still have the occasional byline, my focus now shifts purely into being an editor. I have enjoyed this side of the business in the three months I’ve done this role so far, which makes me excited to be able to invest all of my energy into it now.
This is year eight for me as an Indiana high school sports journalist. Each one has been unique and interesting and memorable for its own ways. I can’t wait to see where this one takes me.
And as always ― thank you everyone for the support on this journey so far. It does not go unnoticed.
Austin Hough is a sports editor within the Center for Community Journalism at Gannett. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @AustinRHough. Hough can be emailed at ahough@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Hough: A new era for me, Indiana high school sports coverage is here
Reporting by Austin Hough, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
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