Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Longtime MTSU SID passes away at 91
3/27/2026 7:00:00 PM | General
Ed Given, who spent 16 years as the sports information director at MTSU, passed away earlier this week at the age of 91.
Given, who was from Ripley, Tennessee, played basketball and baseball at Tennessee in 1953 and 1954. He transferred to Union University after the 1954 season to be near his ailing mother, where he finished his degree.
Following his playing days, Given went on to work in sports media, starting his career working part-time at the Jackson Sun while also spending time at the Nashville Banner before becoming a longtime sports information director at Middle Tennessee and WKU.
Given spent 16 years as an SID at MTSU and 16 years in the same role at WKU (where he was a part of the 1971 Final Four team), earning induction in the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Hall of Fame in 1998 shortly after he retired. He was also selected to the Tennessee Sports Writers Hall of Fame in 2015.
He headed up the sports information office at MTSU from 1983 until 1998, working closely with the likes of Boots Donnelly, Jimmy Earle, John Stanford, Dean Hayes, Lee Fowler, Bruce Stewart, Steve Peterson, and David Farrar. He was part of four NCAA men's basketball appearances, including the 1989 upset of Florida State, seven NCAA Football I-AA Playoff appearances, and four Ohio Valley Conference Football Championships. Given spearheaded the publicity for the 1985 football team that went undefeated in the regular season and achieved a number one national ranking.
Given is survived by four sons: Kerry (Rhonda), Scott, Kyle (Melanie) and Paul (Prudence), and one daughter: Lisa Spillman (Michael), as well as 11 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren, two nephews and a niece.
Private memorial services will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be directed to ProvidenceChristianAcademy.com.
Given, who was from Ripley, Tennessee, played basketball and baseball at Tennessee in 1953 and 1954. He transferred to Union University after the 1954 season to be near his ailing mother, where he finished his degree.
Following his playing days, Given went on to work in sports media, starting his career working part-time at the Jackson Sun while also spending time at the Nashville Banner before becoming a longtime sports information director at Middle Tennessee and WKU.
Given spent 16 years as an SID at MTSU and 16 years in the same role at WKU (where he was a part of the 1971 Final Four team), earning induction in the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Hall of Fame in 1998 shortly after he retired. He was also selected to the Tennessee Sports Writers Hall of Fame in 2015.
He headed up the sports information office at MTSU from 1983 until 1998, working closely with the likes of Boots Donnelly, Jimmy Earle, John Stanford, Dean Hayes, Lee Fowler, Bruce Stewart, Steve Peterson, and David Farrar. He was part of four NCAA men's basketball appearances, including the 1989 upset of Florida State, seven NCAA Football I-AA Playoff appearances, and four Ohio Valley Conference Football Championships. Given spearheaded the publicity for the 1985 football team that went undefeated in the regular season and achieved a number one national ranking.
Given is survived by four sons: Kerry (Rhonda), Scott, Kyle (Melanie) and Paul (Prudence), and one daughter: Lisa Spillman (Michael), as well as 11 grandchildren, 14 great grandchildren, two nephews and a niece.
Private memorial services will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be directed to ProvidenceChristianAcademy.com.
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