This week, we’re joined by 2022 Sports Writer of the year, Mike Organ. We cover how he got started in writing, how the industry has changed, and some of his all-time favorite interviews.

About our Guest: Mike started working at The Tennessean as a teenager in 1975, answering the phone and running copy in the sports department on weekends, and keeping statistics at high school football games on Friday nights. While in his final semester of college at Middle Tennessee State in 1985, Mike performed an internship with The Tennessean. Two days after graduating with a journalism degree, Mike joined the sports department as a full-time employee. His time has included covering high school sports (1986-88), the Ohio Valley Conference/Middle Tennessee State (1989-90), serving as high school sports editor (1991-92), covering Vanderbilt (1993-2002), the Southeastern Eastern Conference (2003-04), area colleges (2009-present), sports media critic (2003-06), Nashville Sounds (2005-2009), golf, tennis, auto racing, outdoors (2000-present), Nashville Predators (2009-10, 12-14). In 2013, Mike added a weekly column, “Midstate Chatter”, which became one of the most popular items in the sports section. Mike was named the Tennessee Sports Writer of the Year for 2022 by the National Broadcasting and Journalism Association. He was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Writers Hall of Fame in 2019 and the Metro Nashville Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2016. He has won Best of Gannett awards for “Beat Coverage” and “Breaking News.” He also became known for his first-person stories early in his career, which included playing for a semipro football team, learning to barefoot water ski, playing polo, and practicing with the Belmont women’s basketball team on its first day.

Follow and contact: morgan@tennessean.com
Twitter: @MikeOrganWriter