SAN ANTONIO (USBWA) – The U.S. Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame, an institution inspired by former executive director Joe Mitch to recognize outstanding journalists nearly 40 years ago, will bear his name, it was announced on Monday.
The announcement was made at the association’s annual awards luncheon at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk on Monday.
Mitch served as executive director from 1983 until his retirement in May, 2019. For many of those years, he was associate commissioner of the Missouri Valley Conference. He was inducted into the conference’s Hall of Fame in 2015 in the Lifetime Achievement category.
He was previously honored by the USBWA when he received the organization’s Katha Quinn Award for outstanding service to the media in 2007 and was inducted in the Hall of Fame in 2020.
“Joe set a record that will certainly never be broken by serving as executive director of the USBWA for 36 years,” said Stu Durando, the organization’s president for 2024-25. “In that time he grew the organization, used his unflappable demeanor and leadership to steady the ship when needed and took the USBWA to new heights of influence in the college basketball world. There’s no one other than Joe who should have their name on the hall of fame.”
With the addition of seven new members recognized at the NCAA Women’s Final Four in Tampa and the NCAA Men’s Final Four here, the hall has grown to 121 since it was introduced in 1988.
Under his leadership:
- The USBWA multiplied from roughly 200 members to today’s membership of more than 800.
- Annual awards for the National Women’s Player of the Year and National Women’s Coach of the Year were established in the late 1980s.
- The USBWA gained financial stability through Mitch’s fund-raising experience.
- Pool reporters gained access to officials and breakout sessions were provided for players during NCAA tournaments in addition to traditional interview room sessions.
- The “Full Court Press” seminar and scholarship competition has allowed dozens of students to cover the Friday events at the Final Four for more than a quarter century.
- The nation’s top player, coach and freshman have been honored annually at a postseason dinner at the Missouri Athletic Club in St. Louis.
- Hall of Fame inductees and winners of the Katha Quinn, Most Courageous and Rising Star awards are honored at a luncheon on the Monday of each NCAA men’s basketball championship game.
The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. With some 800 members worldwide, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. For more information on the USBWA and its award programs, contact executive director Malcolm Moran at 814-574-1485.