The news broke last night. Dirk Facer, a longtime reporter covering Utah football and a former employee of UteZone, passed away.
Let’s be crystal clear about this. A behemoth, Dirk Facer was. Although his readers frequently didn’t like him, the media recognized his enormous talent. Dirk was a fantastic storyteller with a talent for unearthing interesting tidbits about the people behind the helmet.
For more than 20 years of covering Utah athletics, Dirk was a mainstay. Several accolades were given to his work for the Deseret News. He wrote a book, which is still on my shelf. He frequently asked the first question at press conferences. The press box was packed with his personality.
But Dirk’s kindness was what had the biggest impact. Everyone who has covered Utah basketball or football over the past 30 years will be able to recall a day when Dirk welcomed them. Or perhaps a tale of how he assisted them in some way. It made them smile as they were sweltering in the hot sun covering fall camp.