Bentley named winner of Bill Sergent Award

PIKEVILLE, Ky. — While Pikeville may have been the site of the crowning of the new Mid-South Conference champion Georgetown Tigers on Monday, one of Pikeville’s own was given one of the conference’s highest achievements.

Rick Bentley has faithfully served as Sports Information Director and Assistant Athletics Director at Pikeville College for 12 years, and for the fourth time he is being honored by the MSC with its annual Bill Sergent Award for Sports Information Director of the Year.

“It’s always special to be recognized by my peers, because these are people I share a calling with and whom I care very deeply about,” said Bentley. “But that’s certainly not why I do what I do. This is about a love of the student-athletes, of sports and of writing.”

Anyone who knows Rick Bentley knows that to be true.  His standard for excellence comes not from a desire to prove himself or pad an already impressive resume, it comes from an undying love of athletics.

“The good Lord saw fit to grace me with the talents to be in this business, and I thank Him every day for that,” he said. “I do what I do because its fun and I have a blast with it.”

As if it were not enough to maintain the statistics and Web sites for all 19 of Pikeville’s varsity sports, Bentley also volunteers as the radio voice of the Bears, as well as local high school teams, for East Kentucky Broadcasting. He also writes a weekly column for the Appalachian News-Express and The Floyd County Times.

“There are two groups of people I share this with,” he said. “First, the coaches I work with every day make my job as enjoyable and as easy as they possibly can. They mean the world to me. Second, of course, is the members of the media I work with on a regular basis. They help me in my duty of getting word out about what we’re doing and what’s going on here in the athletics department. They are the ones who make my work qualify for an award like this.”

And it does not matter whether he is writing a press release, keeping stats for a ballgame, or spending Tuesday mornings at Pikeville’s chapel service, Bentley always has a smile on his face, a joke to tell, and a hug to give.

“Rick’s heart and worth ethic are what sets him apart from everyone else,” said Joe Mitchell, former Assistant Sports Information Director at Pikeville.

“Everything he does is out of love for people and a desire to be the absolute best he can be.  He never lets good enough be good enough, and is always encouraging you.  It’s no real surprise that he has been honored again by the MSC because I truly cannot think of anyone else more deserving.”

As he watched the Georgetown Tigers celebrate their undefeated season in his team’s home arena, Bentley slowly packed his printer and laptop into his Buick and gave a sigh; another day gone and another job well-done.

“In theory,” he says, “I’ve tried to give everything I’ve got and do the absolute best I can because I love Pikeville College and its athletes.”

He smiles.  “The key word there is ‘in theory.’” Vintage Rick Bentley.