John Wildhack, Mike Tirico, Sean McDonough, Sandy Montag, Ian Eagle, Beth Mowins and Olivia Stomski on stage following the Glickman Award ceremony
Sandy Montag ’85, chief executive officer of The Montag Group, was honored with the Marty Glickman Award for Leadership in Sports Media at a ceremony Nov. 6 on campus. The award is given annually by the Newhouse School.
Alumni Beth Mowins G’90, Sean McDonough ’84, Mike Tirico ’88 and John Wildhack ’80 spoke at the ceremony. Amy Falkner, interim dean of the Newhouse School, and Olivia Stomski, director of the Newhouse Sports Media Center, offered welcoming remarks.
Wildhack, Syracuse University director of athletics, noted the school’s long lineage of sports broadcasters, calling it “unsurpassed.”
Mowins, a play-by-play announcer with ESPN, called Montag’s career “a wonderful journey… that has changed careers and changed lives… and will continue to do so for the next generation.”
“I am proud that Sandy represents me in my professional life, and I’m even more proud that he’s my great friend,” said McDonough, play-by-play commentator with ESPN.
Tirico noted that Montag is the first “non-announcer” to recieve the Glickman Award. “But the key word is ‘leadership,'” he said, adding that Montag’s company, The Montag Group, is “a leadership-driven organization.”
“If there’s a lesson for those in the room…. it’s that this is the way to do business. To—34 years later—have people come back to your alma mater and talk about you like this,” said Tirico, who is a host and play-by-play announcer with NBC Sports.
Ian Eagle ’90, play-by-play announcer with CBS Sports, YES Network and Westwood One Radio, presented the award.
Ian Eagle ’90 (left) presents the Glickman Award for Leadership in Sports Media to Sandy Montag ’85.
“When someone represents you, you’re trusting them to do what’s right. You’re trusing them to do what’s in your best interests,” said Eagle. “This is what Sandy has done for his clients for his entire career. He represents you—and he does it from a positive place.”
“My story is nothing more than working hard, thinking outside the box, being creative and making things happen,” said Montag as he accepted the award. “I still get great joy in being a support system, both professionally and personally, for many of my clients who have been with me for decades.”
Montag founded The Montag Group, a sports and entertainment agency offering premier talent representation, strategic consulting, media communications and content creation, in 2014. As head of the company, Montag represents a wide variety of clients in fields including broadcasting, coaching, culinary and team sports.
Among his clients are John Madden, Bob Costas ’74, Mary Carillo, James Brown, Julie Foudy, Ming Tsai, Jay Bilas, Scott Van Pelt, Jeremy Schaap, Tom Coughlin ’68, G’69 and Marv Albert ’63, as well as McDonough, Mowins and Tirico.
The Glickman Award is named for sportscasting pioneer Marty Glickman, a 1939 alumnus of Syracuse University. The event was hosted by the Newhouse Sports Media Center.
