Xavier University Athletics
Xavier Nation Magazine Feature: The Producer
06.28.17 | Athletic Department, Featured
Xavier graduate Tom DeCorte landed a dream job at ESPN
Value of your Newswire experience?
Being editor my senior year was a crash course in management that no business course could ever compare to. It remains one of the toughest jobs I've had in my career. Trying to manage your peers while executing the vision of the publication taught me at a young age how much work being an effective leader requires.Â
Memorable moment as a student reporter?
Covering the Atlantic 10 tournament at the old Spectrum in Philadelphia. James Posey loves the history of the game. I was standing at shoot-around, and he was talking about his favorite Dr. J dunk over Michael Cooper. He then took a ball and did his best Dr. J impression. Too bad we didn't have smartphones yet. That would have been a great viral video.Â
Favorite Xavier coach of all time?
Pete Gillen. Though I came to Xavier in Skip Prosser's first year as head coach, it was clear how influential Pete was in building what Xavier basketball was when I was on campus and what it has become since.Â
Most memorable game you attended?
November 26, 1996. Lenny Brown. Few Xavier fans were in the Shoe that night. Brad Johansen, my boss at Channel 12 at the time, gave me one of the few credentials the station had for the game. That shot is still one of my great sports memories in any sport.Â
Game you wish you attended?
Xavier beating St. Joe's to give them their first loss in the A-10 tournament in 2004. I was sitting in the ESPN screening room watching on a small TV. Would have been a great game to witness in person.Â
How did you get your current job?
I was producing the 11 p.m. hour of SportsCenter when Scott Van Pelt and ESPN management approached me about a potential opportunity to develop a new show at midnight. I jumped at the chance because Scott is one of the most talented people I have had the privilege of working with.Â
Best thing about it?
Every day is an opportunity to create a new, distinctive hour. If things didn't go right the day before, there's no time to dwell on it; there's another chance the next day to be better.Â
Worst thing about it?
Working late nights reduces the time spent with my family and friends. But over the years I've learned to be creative. For instance, I can easily go read with my daughter's kindergarten class in the morning because I don't have to work until later.Â
Favorite ESPN personality?
I've learned so much from Scott Van Pelt, Bob Ley, Chris Berman, Dan Patrick, Hannah Storm, etc. But the person who challenged me the most was Stuart Scott. He was a unique voice and an amazing person to know. He was so much more than his on-air persona. He was a man who loved all forms of entertainment and sports, but most of all he loved his two daughters. More than anyone else, he showed me how to be a better producer by listening to different points of view. Â
Being editor my senior year was a crash course in management that no business course could ever compare to. It remains one of the toughest jobs I've had in my career. Trying to manage your peers while executing the vision of the publication taught me at a young age how much work being an effective leader requires.Â
Memorable moment as a student reporter?
Covering the Atlantic 10 tournament at the old Spectrum in Philadelphia. James Posey loves the history of the game. I was standing at shoot-around, and he was talking about his favorite Dr. J dunk over Michael Cooper. He then took a ball and did his best Dr. J impression. Too bad we didn't have smartphones yet. That would have been a great viral video.Â
Favorite Xavier coach of all time?
Pete Gillen. Though I came to Xavier in Skip Prosser's first year as head coach, it was clear how influential Pete was in building what Xavier basketball was when I was on campus and what it has become since.Â
Most memorable game you attended?
November 26, 1996. Lenny Brown. Few Xavier fans were in the Shoe that night. Brad Johansen, my boss at Channel 12 at the time, gave me one of the few credentials the station had for the game. That shot is still one of my great sports memories in any sport.Â
Game you wish you attended?
Xavier beating St. Joe's to give them their first loss in the A-10 tournament in 2004. I was sitting in the ESPN screening room watching on a small TV. Would have been a great game to witness in person.Â
How did you get your current job?
I was producing the 11 p.m. hour of SportsCenter when Scott Van Pelt and ESPN management approached me about a potential opportunity to develop a new show at midnight. I jumped at the chance because Scott is one of the most talented people I have had the privilege of working with.Â
Best thing about it?
Every day is an opportunity to create a new, distinctive hour. If things didn't go right the day before, there's no time to dwell on it; there's another chance the next day to be better.Â
Worst thing about it?
Working late nights reduces the time spent with my family and friends. But over the years I've learned to be creative. For instance, I can easily go read with my daughter's kindergarten class in the morning because I don't have to work until later.Â
Favorite ESPN personality?
I've learned so much from Scott Van Pelt, Bob Ley, Chris Berman, Dan Patrick, Hannah Storm, etc. But the person who challenged me the most was Stuart Scott. He was a unique voice and an amazing person to know. He was so much more than his on-air persona. He was a man who loved all forms of entertainment and sports, but most of all he loved his two daughters. More than anyone else, he showed me how to be a better producer by listening to different points of view. Â
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