 In 2004, he was hired full-time by ESPN as senior director of talent development.Sawatsky was awarded the Michener Award in 1976 for his series of pieces on the RCMP.He also received an SFU Outstanding Alumni Awards from his alma mater in 1985, the Ottawa 1992 non-fiction book award for his biography of Brian Mulroney  and the "Ottawa Citizen" book of the year award for "Insiders".