SLS 19RS-1075 ORIGINAL
2019 Regular Session
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 90
BY SENATOR LONG AND REPRESENTATI VES TERRY BROWN AND COX
COMMENDATIONS. Commends Doug Ireland upon his retirement as the sports
information director for Northwestern State University of Louisiana.
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2 To commend Doug Ireland upon his retirement as the sports information director for
3 Northwestern State University of Louisiana.
4 WHEREAS, Doug Ireland's passion for sports journalism began when he was an
5 undergraduate at Northwestern State University of Louisiana (NSU) in 1981; he worked as
6 chief of the Shreveport Times Natchitoches Bureau coordinating news coverage of an eight
7 parish region along the Red River; and
8 WHEREAS, from 1982 through 1985, he was assistant sports information director
9 at the University of Southwestern Louisiana (USL), which is now the University of
10 Louisiana at Lafayette, working with a men's basketball program that made three straight
11 postseason tournament appearances; and
12 WHEREAS, he won numerous College Sports Information Directors of America
13 writing awards while at USL; and
14 WHEREAS, Mr. Ireland was the sports editor of the Natchitoches Times from 1985
15 to 1986, and attended graduate school at Northeast Louisiana University before joining the
16 Alexandria Town Talk sports staff in 1987; and
17 WHEREAS, while at the Town Talk, he covered both NSU and LSU sports and won
18 fifteen writing awards from the Louisiana Sports Writers' Association; and
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SLS 19RS-1075 ORIGINAL
1 WHEREAS, he began his career as the sports information director for NSU in
2 January 1989; and
3 WHEREAS, in that position he coordinated publicity efforts for the fourteen
4 intercollegiate sports teams through local, regional, and national media outlets in print,
5 broadcast, television, and internet; and
6 WHEREAS, the 1992 NSU Demons Football Media Guide won "Best in the Nation"
7 in the Football Championship Subdivision from the College Sports Information Directors
8 of America; and
9 WHEREAS, in 1997, Mr. Ireland was appointed by NSU President Dr. Randall
10 Webb to serve a two-year term on the inaugural University Planning Council; and
11 WHEREAS, in 1999, he was awarded honorary membership in the Graduate N Club
12 at NSU by the university's group of athletic lettermen for his service to NSU and its athletic
13 program; and in 2003, he was awarded full membership; and
14 WHEREAS, since 2000, he has earned thirty-three Louisiana Sports Writers'
15 Association (LSWA) awards, including the 2017 LSWA Story of the Year, and a majority
16 of these awards came from his stories of NSU athletes, coaches, and support staff members;
17 and
18 WHEREAS, in 2001, the LSWA presented its prestigious Mac Russo Award to Mr.
19 Ireland for his contributions to the association; and
20 WHEREAS, in 2008, he was awarded the Northwest Louisiana' s National Football
21 Foundation "Distinguished American" award; and
22 WHEREAS, in 2012, he was honored by the Alexandria Town Talk by being named
23 the CENLA Sportsman of the Year; and
24 WHEREAS, since April 1990, he has served in a volunteer role as the chairman of
25 the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame; and
26 WHEREAS, his volunteer efforts with the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame has lead
27 to the development and construction of the $23 million Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and
28 Northwest Louisiana History Museum, which opened to international architectural acclaim
29 in June 2013; and
30 WHEREAS, Mr. Ireland was chosen as the 2016 recipient of the Southland
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SLS 19RS-1075 ORIGINAL
1 Conference's Louis Bonnette Sports Media Award.
2 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
3 commend Doug Ireland for his numerous years of exemplary public service, congratulate
4 him upon his retirement from Northwestern State University of Louisiana, and express best
5 wishes to him in all of his future endeavors.
6 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to Doug
7 Ireland.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by J. W. Wiley.
DIGEST
SCR 90 Original 2019 Regular Session Long
Commends Doug Ireland upon his retirement as the sports information director for
Northwestern State University of Louisiana.
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