SU’s Newhouse School to host Super Bowl director Drew Esocoff in February

SU’s Newhouse School to host Super Bowl director Drew Esocoff in FebruaryFebruary 02, 2009Wendy S. Loughlinwsloughl@syr.edu

Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications will host Drew Esocoff, sports director with NBC Sports and director of Super Bowl XLIII, during the week of Feb. 23. He will lead a weeklong workshop on sports directing for students in Newhouse’s “Sports Production” (TRF 510) course.

“It’s difficult to imagine anything more demanding in television than the challenge of sitting in the director’s chair,” says Michael Schoonmaker, chair of Newhouse’s Department of Television, Radio and Film. “With Esocoff’s visit, our students, many of them aspiring directors, will have the chance get in the head of one of the greatest live sports directors of our time.”

Esocoff has been with NBC Sports since 2006. In addition to directing Super Bowl XLIII, he also directed the live swimming telecasts during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

He was previously with ABC Sports, where he worked on college football; the Rose, Sugar and Citrus Bowls; college basketball; the Indianapolis 500; the Kentucky Derby; the Preakness Stakes; the Little League World Series; “Wide World of Sports”; Major League Baseball; boxing; the Pan American Games; “Monday Night Football” (2000-06); NBA (including three NBA Finals); and Super Bowls XXXVII and LX.

He began his career at ESPN, where he worked on “SportsCenter,” “Baseball Night in America,” college basketball, college football, the French Open and “Top Rank Boxing.”

For more information, contact Schoonmaker at (315) 443-9240 or msschoon@syr.edu.

NOTE: Esocoff is available for interview during his time in Syracuse. Contact Wendy Loughlin at (315) 443-2785 or wsloughl@syr.edu. Members of the media may also observe the workshop.