CORVALLIS, Ore. – Southern Oregon University’s Josh McDermott and Isaac Fernandez were named the 2024-25 Cascade Collegiate Conference Mike Booth College Sport Communicators (CSC) Staff of the Year, announced by the conference office.
The College Sport Communicators of the CCC vote on the annual award, recognizing outstanding work with the CCC and NAIA championship events, promotion, publicity, and marketing efforts. It was named after the late conference/district SID Mike Booth.
Other nominees for the award were Lewis-Clark State College’s Alishia Alexander and Oregon Tech’s Mike Safford.
“Congratulations to Josh and Isaac on being selected by their peers as the CCC CSC Staff of the Year,” stated Courtney Blumer, CCC Director of Communications. “Their tireless commitment behind the scenes to showcase the student-athlete experience has elevated not only Southern Oregon Athletics but the entire conference. It’s a pleasure to work with them and this recognition is incredibly well deserved.”
McDermott, Southern Oregon’s Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information, is in his 12th year and earns the honor for the third time in his career. Isaac Fernandez joined the department this year as the Assistant Sports Information Director and quickly made his mark. In his first year he contributed to enhancing content creation, gameday operations, and social media strategies, becoming an integral part of the communications team. Together, the duo delivered a year of exceptional service and innovation that raised Raider Athletics across the CCC and NAIA.
Their efforts were especially visible during a packed championship calendar, as SOU hosted CCC Championships in men’s and women’s soccer, basketball, and track and field, as well as NAIA Opening Rounds in softball, women’s basketball, and volleyball. McDermott and Fernandez handled the full scope of responsibilities, from event coverage and media coordination to digital content creation and marketing.
The staff’s publicity efforts helped highlight the accomplishments of Southern Oregon student-athletes and coaches on a national level. Their work promoted three Academic All-Americans, five conference Athletes of the Year, four conference and regional Coaches of the Year, and five CCC championship teams. Their coverage also spotlighted seven top 10 national finishes and SOU’s exciting NAIA Softball Championship Title.
McDermott’s writing was widely recognized with over 100 press releases published in local media outlets and by receiving a Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest award for his impactful storytelling.
Innovation was a cornerstone of their success. The staff launched interactive digital gameday programs and developed new intro, scorebug, and statistical graphics for live broadcasts and in-venue video boards. They also created over 25 original social media templates, contributing to a major rebound in the department’s digital presence. SOU’s athletics Instagram following doubled and Twitter surpassed 7K followers, reflecting expanded reach and engagement.
This year’s CCC CSC Staff of the Year honor exemplifies not only the professionalism and dedication of Josh McDermott but also the valuable and immediate impact of Isaac Fernandez. Together, they delivered a dynamic and highly effective year of sports information work that supported SOU’s championship success and furthered the mission of the CCC and the NAIA.
As the conference winner, McDermott will be moved forward to the NAIA National SID of the Year ballot.