In spring of 1997, I was working in advertising at the Ann Arbor News when the phone rang in the classified room ... and continued to ring. The room was about empty with people out to lunch, and the few who remained were otherwise occupied. I had been on my way out, as well, but decided someone needed to answer, so I did.
That decision changed my life. Linda Autry, General Manager of Coman Publishing Co., was calling to advertise an Associate Editor position at The Wolverine. She was stunned I knew what Coman Pub. was even before she mentioned the magazine (there was no TheWolverine.com yet), but I'd been a subscriber and a fan of John Borton's for years.
I was literally shaking as I took the ad for her in their search for Paul Dodd's replacement (Paul has since become a great friend) — "must have passion for University of Michigan sports ... small, two-man office covering Michigan football, basketball and other sports."
Somehow — a story for another day — I knew I was going to be working for them despite limited writing experience. Long story short, I got my foot in the door and the rest is history. It's hard work, but in many ways, it really is living a dream.
Since I accepted a full-time offer from Stu Coman 19 years ago this month, we've had dozens of employees come and go. Many were really good. Some had the passion, but not the ability. Some had the ability, but not the passion. Most were great people, but not all were great fits.
And then came Austin Fox.
Austin had had experience working with the Eastern Michigan Echo covering the Eagles, and he and his family were TheWolverine.com subscribers. He always seemed to have an eye on a position here — finally, several years ago, he got his shot. He dove in headfirst, always concerned about the company's success more than his own, always had a smile when we'd share our successes with one another — we're all about 'The Team, The Team, The Team,' and he loved that — and had an eidetic memory about Michigan football moments in his lifetime.
We knew he was the guy when he was ripping off stats from Rich Rodriguez games we'd spent the better part of five years trying to forget.
He had that same enthusiasm I did when I took that ad back in 1997; the same excitement our Clayton Sayfie has, and one of the things that makes the really busy months (all but one or two) worth it all.
Austin will be leaving us tomorrow for a job with the State of Michigan, and while we're sad to see him go, we're extremely excited for his next chapter. The rest of us have signed four-year contract extensions with The Wolverine, and we'll miss our "Woody Boyd" ... or, as our John Borton calls him, 'The King of Wabasha,' a nod to Austin's real hometown of Westphalia, Mich.
None of us have seen much of each other rather than Zoom calls over the last year, and that's been tough. We had great camaraderie in the office, thanks in large part to Austin's nature. I've literally never seen him mad, and as most know, we love to tease him. He embraced it in his self-deprecating way, never got angry when we'd poke fun at him (probably too much) and was a willing participant when I'd insist on a picture of him paying for lunch after he lost a bet (which he did — five straight times before he finally realized this was just too expensive a proposition for a young guy trying to save his money for his Westphalia Fair date).
He's the kind of guy you'd want your daughter to marry — was for me, at least, until he shared a story about ... well, his brief stint in Paris — or that you'd be willing to choke down a Busch Light with since it was the only beer he'd drink.
Austin will now have time to 'enjoy' those beers as a fan, something he's missed while putting in countless hours before, during and after games without complaint. We have started the search for his replacement, but it won't be easy to find another like him — a great worker, employee, person and, most of all, friend.
So, good luck, Mr. Fox. We'll miss you. And keep in mind, buddy, if you're ever looking for someone to bet with, 100 percent, without hesitation ...
That decision changed my life. Linda Autry, General Manager of Coman Publishing Co., was calling to advertise an Associate Editor position at The Wolverine. She was stunned I knew what Coman Pub. was even before she mentioned the magazine (there was no TheWolverine.com yet), but I'd been a subscriber and a fan of John Borton's for years.
I was literally shaking as I took the ad for her in their search for Paul Dodd's replacement (Paul has since become a great friend) — "must have passion for University of Michigan sports ... small, two-man office covering Michigan football, basketball and other sports."
Somehow — a story for another day — I knew I was going to be working for them despite limited writing experience. Long story short, I got my foot in the door and the rest is history. It's hard work, but in many ways, it really is living a dream.
Since I accepted a full-time offer from Stu Coman 19 years ago this month, we've had dozens of employees come and go. Many were really good. Some had the passion, but not the ability. Some had the ability, but not the passion. Most were great people, but not all were great fits.
And then came Austin Fox.
Austin had had experience working with the Eastern Michigan Echo covering the Eagles, and he and his family were TheWolverine.com subscribers. He always seemed to have an eye on a position here — finally, several years ago, he got his shot. He dove in headfirst, always concerned about the company's success more than his own, always had a smile when we'd share our successes with one another — we're all about 'The Team, The Team, The Team,' and he loved that — and had an eidetic memory about Michigan football moments in his lifetime.
We knew he was the guy when he was ripping off stats from Rich Rodriguez games we'd spent the better part of five years trying to forget.
He had that same enthusiasm I did when I took that ad back in 1997; the same excitement our Clayton Sayfie has, and one of the things that makes the really busy months (all but one or two) worth it all.
Austin will be leaving us tomorrow for a job with the State of Michigan, and while we're sad to see him go, we're extremely excited for his next chapter. The rest of us have signed four-year contract extensions with The Wolverine, and we'll miss our "Woody Boyd" ... or, as our John Borton calls him, 'The King of Wabasha,' a nod to Austin's real hometown of Westphalia, Mich.
None of us have seen much of each other rather than Zoom calls over the last year, and that's been tough. We had great camaraderie in the office, thanks in large part to Austin's nature. I've literally never seen him mad, and as most know, we love to tease him. He embraced it in his self-deprecating way, never got angry when we'd poke fun at him (probably too much) and was a willing participant when I'd insist on a picture of him paying for lunch after he lost a bet (which he did — five straight times before he finally realized this was just too expensive a proposition for a young guy trying to save his money for his Westphalia Fair date).
He's the kind of guy you'd want your daughter to marry — was for me, at least, until he shared a story about ... well, his brief stint in Paris — or that you'd be willing to choke down a Busch Light with since it was the only beer he'd drink.
Austin will now have time to 'enjoy' those beers as a fan, something he's missed while putting in countless hours before, during and after games without complaint. We have started the search for his replacement, but it won't be easy to find another like him — a great worker, employee, person and, most of all, friend.
So, good luck, Mr. Fox. We'll miss you. And keep in mind, buddy, if you're ever looking for someone to bet with, 100 percent, without hesitation ...
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