For the past 10 years, Mitch Goldich, Lehigh ’09, has been living his childhood dream of being a sports journalist. Now, he can lay claim to a landmark achievement most writers would envy: his first-ever Sports Illustrated cover story.

Goldich and co-writer Conor Orr penned a look at the innovative behind-the-scenes operations of the Miami Dolphins’ support staff for the magazine’s Nov. 9, 2023, issue. Part of the publication’s How It Works series, the story gave an up-close look at the staff who work the sidelines during a game, from members of the tech support team, to athletic trainers, to staffers who are typically in the background like security guards and equipment managers.

“I remember reading SI as a kid and knowing I wanted to be able to do something like that,” Goldich said, reflecting on his journey from dreaming of writing about professional coaches and athletes to actually doing it for a living.

In an unusual coincidence, Goldich also wrote a 2011 Journal cover story on former NFL running back Ryan Mathews, Fresno State ’11.