2105 Journalism
Johnny McGonigal
joined PennLive.com as a Penn State football beat reporter.
He most recently covered Pitt football and athletics for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Here's an excerpt from a PennLive subscriber newsletter about McGonigal's hiring ...
Sports Editor Chris Hopkins wanted to complement the firepower reporters Bob Flounders, Dave Jones and Dustin Hockensmith, and photo editor Joe Hermitt, already bring to our coverage. Sorting through a wealth of applicants for the job, he turned to a standout at a great Pittsburgh paper with lots of Happy Valley cred.
"I hired Johnny because of his vast knowledge of the game that he has gained from almost a decade’s-worth of experience covering D1 football," Chris said. "He’s a Penn State grad and covered Penn State for years at the Centre Daily Times before moving on to the Post-Gazette and Pitt football. He’ll be able to not just report on the news right in front of him, but take Penn State fans one step further with expert analysis and features that we haven’t told before."
We tossed some questions at Johnny before this week's unusual Thursday opener on the road against Purdue.
Johnny, our guys say you’ll be a great fit for this reporting team. Why were you eager to cover the Lions?
"Penn State is where it all started for me. Growing up in the Philly area, I fell in love with college football watching Penn State games as a kid. I began my journey in journalism at The Daily Collegian, Penn State's student paper. I covered the Nittany Lions for the Centre Daily Times in 2016, 2017 and 2018, chronicling Saquon Barkley, Trace McSorley and a Big Ten title. I enjoyed my three years covering Pitt for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. But coming back and joining PennLive was a natural decision for me."
You’re the only Pennsylvania journalist with a vote in the AP College Football Poll. What’s that experience like?
"I have to admit, it's really cool. Ultimately, the College Football Playoff rankings matter most. But when I was asked to be a voter, I was honored. From my understanding, the AP likes to rotate writers in every handful of years to get different perspectives. Last season was my first as a voter, and I took a lot of pride in that. While I'm obviously committed to watching Penn State on Saturdays, I put an extensive amount of research into my ballot every weekend to make sure it's as accurate as possible."
So what’s your take on the Lions starting the season unranked?
"I understand the hesitancy. This is a program that has fallen short of both external and internal expectations recently. You can't go 11-11 in a two-year stretch and command the benefit of the doubt. However, I do think this is a top 25 caliber team. James Franklin has recruited well enough that the future is bright. But with a veteran quarterback healthy and ready to go, there's still potential in the present."
You're a bit of a legend - I hear you were the only local reporter at a certain Panther's draft party.
"Over the course of my time covering Pitt, I got to know Kenny Pickett and his inner circle pretty well. Ahead of his draft party in New Jersey, I asked his dad if there would be any media availability, and they welcomed me down. From the first pick until the Steelers' selection at 20th overall, I stood to the right of ESPN's cameras watching the night unfold. It was a unique experience, one I'll never forget."
Any other words for your new PennLive readers?
"Just that I'm excited to get this season started. The Purdue game off the bat, followed by Auburn two weeks later, is one hell of a way to kick off the campaign. We're going to learn a lot about Franklin's program in his ninth year. I'm ready for every game, series and snap — and I'm sure our readers feel the same way."
Note Posted: August 30, 2022
