Longtime Roanoke Times sportswriter Doug Doughty and South Boston News and Record sports editor Tucker McLaughlin are this year’s recipients of the Marvin ‘Skeeter’ Francis Award.
Doughty will be recognized during Friday night’s first New York Life ACC Tournament semifinal game at Barclays Center. McLaughlin, who was not able to attend this year’s tournament, will be presented with the award in his hometown of South Boston.
The Francis Award, presented by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association, recognizes individuals for distinguished service to, or coverage of, the ACC.
The award is named in memory of Marvin ‘Skeeter’ Francis, who served as the longtime sports information director at Wake Forest and the first administrator of the ACC’s media services division.
A 1974 University of Virginia graduate, Doughty spent 47 years at The Roanoke Times, compiling more than 10,000 bylines. Most of those stories were written about Virginia athletics, including more than 500 football games and 1,500 basketball games.
Doughty led The Times’ coverage on many of the Cavaliers’ biggest moments – including the men’s basketball program’s 1981 and 1984 NCAA Final Fours and 2019 National Championship team, as well as national titles in men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s soccer and baseball. It is estimated that Doughty has driven close to 400,000 miles commuting round-trip from his home to Charlottesville for football and basketball games.
Doughty’s coverage included 48 PGA Tour events, Class A minor league baseball, minor league hockey and several high school sports. He has also been a long-time contributor to several national and regional sports publications.
One of the first to cover high school football recruiting on a regular basis, his annual Top 25 ranking of Virginia high school players ran for 38 years. Inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2018, he retired from The Times in 2021. He continues to make regular appearances on sports talk radio.
Doughty and his wife, Beth, live in Roanoke, and are the parents of four children: Allison, Caroline, Michael, and Matt.
McLaughlin has covered ACC sports for more than three decades, with a resume that includes more than 30 ACC Tournaments, the first 15 ACC Football Championships and multiple NCAA basketball regionals and Final Fours. He has also spearheaded coverage of local high school sporting events and auto racing at South Boston Speedway.
In addition to his duties as sports editor, McLaughlin serves as advertising manager for the News and Record.
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Chris Graham
