Montclair, NJ – The Montclair State University Department of Athletics is mourning the loss of longtime Director of Sports Publicity Mike Scala, who passed away Thursday after a multi-year battle with cancer.
Scala was 51 and is survived by his wife Jamie and their three children; Jenna, Michael and Joelle.
"I guess the one thing that will really last with me was Mike's unique ability to cover all sports so well - he really knew it all," Director of Athletic Rob Chesney expressed. "He made the student athletes at the University feel special. He was a true Montclair State Hall of Famer."
A 2019 inductee into the Montclair State University Athletics Hall of Fame, Scala spent the last 23 years as the Director of Sports Publicity, handling all aspects of athletics media relations and athletic communications for the University's 18 NCAA Division III athletics programs. A 1992 graduate of Montclair, Scala returned to his alma mater in 1999 and helped transform the department during the growth of the digital age. He developed the department's first website, which has grown into the current site montclairathletics.com, and launched all of Montclair's social media accounts which rank among the most followed in the New Jersey Athletic Conference.
"I had the privilege to know and work with Mike for over 30 years, and in that time he was one of the most special and talented people that I ever encountered," said NJAC Commissioner Terry Small. "His love for his family and his love for Montclair State athletics were unmatched. It was impossible to have a five-minute conversation with Mike. I would call him about something work-related and it would turn into a 20-minute talk about our families, our profession, or some other random topic. He was an individual who was truly selfless, and he spent his entire professional life promoting the accomplishments of others. From a conference standpoint, I don't think many people realize what an important role Mike played in preserving and archiving the history of the NJAC during his time as our league publicist. But more than anything, Mike was just a great friend, a loving husband, and a proud father who lived an extremely impactful life. On behalf of everyone associated with the NJAC, I offer my deepest condolences to Jamie and the entire Scala family."
In 2020, Scala was honored by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) with the organization's prestigious 25-Year Award. Scala served as the media relations coordinator for many conference and NCAA Championship events in his career, which include the 2009 Division III Softball Championship and 2012 Division III Women's Lacrosse Championship. He has also been honored with several awards, including "Best in the Nation" honors from CoSIDA for both writing and media guide production. In February 2016, Scala was honored with the Bob Kenworthy Division III Football Communications Award, which is presented to communications professionals that have made a significant impact both on and off the field.
Prior to returning to Montclair, Scala served as the Director of Athletic Communications at Division I Monmouth University for two years and spent two years as the Director of Media Relations for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). While at the MAAC, Scala was responsible for the individual season service bureaus as well as assisting in the administration of all conference championships, most notably the MAAC Men's and Women's Basketball Championships. He also helped the conference secure bids for the 2001 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championship and 2003 NCAA Division I Frozen Four (hockey).
Scala began his career as the first Assistant Sports Information Director at Montclair after serving six years as a student and graduate assistant. He also spent eight years as the Assistant Sports Information Director for the New Jersey Athletic Conference. In 1995, Scala moved on to become a bureau manager for ESPN SportsTicker, where he assisted in running the daily operations of the on-line news service while also handling a majority of the coverage for the organization during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Scala also served as an assistant press venue chief for the 1998 Goodwill Games in New York, the annual Kickoff Classic during the 1990's and was a media relations assistant for the 2005 PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Course in Springfield, NJ.
Visitation will be held on Tuesday from 4pm-8pm at Scanlan's Funeral Home in Pompton Plains, NJ and the funeral will Wednesday morning at 10am at Scanlan's Funeral Home.
