Derek Smolik, who has served as an assistant sports information director at Idaho State University for the past 18 months, has been named sports information director at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Athletic Director Jill Willson announced on Monday.
Smolik succeeds Craig Merriman, who resigned to accept the sports information director position at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
Smolik, a native of Clearwater, Fla., is a 1994 graduate of Western Carolina University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
He served as a graduate assistant at East Tennessee State University and as an intern at Campbell (N.C.) University before going to the University of Central Florida for a year as an assistant SID.
Smolik was an assistant SID at the University of Texas-El Paso for two years where he also worked game operations at the 1996 and 1997 Sun Bowl.
He was the sports information director at the University of Texas-Pan American in 1999-2001 and served as sports editor of the Kerrville Daily Times.
Smolik has been active in the College Sports Information Directors of America. He was on the Computer Committee for four years, including a stint as chair and website coordinator for the group’s official website. He is currently a member of the Social Committee.
He received a top 25 national ranking and third place in the district honor for his 1999 soccer media guide at Central Florida, and he earned the Sports Information Award of Excellence from Soccer Buzz Magazine in 1998 for his work with the Central Florida soccer team.
Smolik is a game official, having referred high school and youth soccer for the past two years, high school baseball and softball for a year and is certified to official junior, high school and college tennis.
At TAMUK, he is responsible for the athletic website, publications, news releases and game operations.