But what about the people who cover the team in a different way?  What about the people who make sure you read a quote from Tommy Freeman in tomorrow’s edition of The Post or ensure ESPN’s play-by-play talent know the correct pronunciation of Adetunji Adedipe?

The life of a sports information director is a tad bit different than Joe Sunshine’s 40-hour work week.  But it’s a job Ohio Assistant Athletics Director for Media Relations Jason Corriher enjoys.

“Our hours are a little bit different,” understated the 31-year-old China Grove, North Carolina native.  “I love traveling, I really do.  Growing up, I never really got to travel that much.  This job has given me a chance to see places and meet people and see venues I would not have gotten had I not had this job.”

Corriher spent more than 8,000 miles alone hitting the pavement with the football team, fueled by a pair of long-distance non-conference games and a few additional post-season trips.  While the Athletic Department looked to hire a third full-time SID this winter, Corriher added eight extra team trips on his schedule as the men’s basketball contact.  Tack on nine cities with the Bobcat Caravan this spring and there you have it.  From Ohio football’s rain-soaked trip to Denton, Texas in mid-September to Bobcat baseball’s upcoming short trek to Chillicothe for the Mid-American Conference tournament, Corriher will travel 15,289 round trip miles covering the ‘Cats during the 09-10 school year.

That’s a lot of hotel room keys.

Take this March, for example.  Odds are while you were busy wearing your green and white T-shirt before or after Ohio’s upset of Georgetown, Corriher was inside something with wheels.  Corriher’s wife, Kim, convinced him to make the trip to Providence for the game, even with Ohio baseball set to host a weekend series with Purdue the next day.  After that first round shocker, you better believe Corriher was up all night.  Not game-planning like John Groce and his staff, but traveling.

“I got a cab shortly after the USA Today‘s were delivered to the hotel (the next morning),” he said.  Following the upset, an early flight put Corriher back in Athens to cover the Ohio-Purdue baseball series later that Friday afternoon at 4 p.m.  Then, Saturday was spent scoring two Ohio losses at Bob Wren Stadium while keeping one eye on the Ohio-Tennessee hoops contest on his computer.  A long four days, but well worth it.

“To wake up and see Kenneth van Kempen on the front of the USA Today, that’s why we do this job,” Corriher said.  ” To be able to work and see the benefits of all your hard work–that win over Georgetown helped us realize that.”

Corriher also spent a month in Detroit.  At least it probably seemed like it.  One trip to the Motor City for the MAC title game against Central Michigan.  A return drive up a week later with wide out Taylor Price for the Ohio-Marshall Little Caesar’s Pizza Bowl Press Conference on Dec. 12.  Then, Christmas with the ‘Cats as Ohio fell to the Thundering Herd at Ford Field Dec. 26.  That’s four weekends of December–three of them spent in Detroit.

“That was pretty unique, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced that,” said Corriher, who argues the city gets more grief than deserved.

With a lingering southern twang and passion for N.C. State, the Carolina Panthers, Hurricanes and poker, Corriher is used to the tolls of being on the road.

“My staff and I talk about this all the time.  This job is very challenging in the sense that, depending on what games you have and your travel schedule, you may be able to go to sleep at a normal hour some nights, but you may have other nights if it’s a home football or home basketball game, you may not get to sleep until after 1 a.m.

“I have mastered the art of sleeping on buses,” he joked.  “I do utilize that time on the bus to, in a lot of cases, make up some sleep time.  Take the jacket and ball it up and try to knock out a couple hours there.”

The media relations work won’t get any lighter any time soon for the youngest head SID in the MAC.  Budget cuts mean his department will have just three staffers beginning next fall, down from the six he had when he arrived in Athens July 2007.  Corriher is proud of the work he and his staff have done professionally.  Personally, his goal is to get into better shape during his July-timed New Year’s resolution (“our lives are almost by the school year, not the calendar year”).

He enjoys his interactions with the media, coaches, administrators and student-athletes.  For Corriher, the travel is a bonus.

“It is a new area of the country for me, and this job has afforded me a chance to get around and see these new places and meet all the great people.”

-  Former Ohio guard Armon Bassett’s next court date is now June 15th after an assault charge a few weeks ago.

-  Congrats to Chris Holtmann and his wife, Lori, on the birth of their daughter Nora on Wednesday.  The former Ohio hoops assistant coach and new Gardner-Webb coach has been and will continue to be successful on and off the court.

-  Ohio women’s basketball assistant coach Karen Hewitt has left the program to pursue opportunities outside of basketball.  Director of Operations Simone Redd is leaving as well and returning to her hometown of Cleveland.

-  I’ve been trying to convince coach Semeka Randall to get on Twitter, but she won’t budge.  Yet.  I tried convincing her with this article about Kentucky coach John Calipari, but no cigar quite yet.  Any suggestions would be appreciated.

-  Joe Ragazzo has been a fantastic sports editor for The Post this school year.  No doubt he will be great as the editor-in-chief next year.

-  Ohio defensive lineman A.J. Oxley remains suspended indefinitely from the football team.  His battle in the judicial system continues.  In short, nothing new on that end.

-  Expect the Ohio basketball schedule to be released in mid-August, like it has the past few years.

-  Ohio hoops senior-to-be DeVaughn Washington is expected in court Friday morning at 9:30 after his misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge last week.

-  I never personally met the late Dr. Steve Carin, but by all accounts the entire Athens community lost a true Bobcat and great friend.

-  Graduating Ohio senior Jake Young has accepted a job at WRDW-TV in Augusta, Georgia.  Young was the host of Bobcat Blitz this past season.

-  Jan Hodson, one of the biggest Bobcat fans in town and the wife of departing E.W. Scripps School of Journalism Director Tom Hodson, continues to fight a tough battle with cancer.  Her spirits are up, and she’s been able to get in a few hours of work per week at the Honors Tutorial College at Ohio University.  We’ll know more about her progress the second week of June.  Keep the prayers coming.

-  Have you checked out what Ohio alum Tony Castricone is up to?  Go to www.TonyCastricone.com or www.40daytour.com for more information on his exciting adventures.

-  Marc Krauss is playing well at Class A Advanced ball with the Visalia Rawhide (CA).  His .329 average with 22 RBIs through 41 games is solid, but the 2-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio needs to be better.

-  On the flip side, not a good start to the season for fellow Bobcat alum Adam Russell with the Padres AAA affiliate Portland.  Russell carries a 7.71 ERA in 12 appearances out of the bullpen and has allowed 21 hits in 14 innings of work.

-  Anything you would like to see on Bobcat TV or this blog?  Shoot me an e-mail at calebtroop@gmail.com or tweet at me (@CalebTroop).

-  More to come.