Will Roleson was named the Horizon League's new assistant commissioner for
communications, conference Commissioner Jonathan B. LeCrone announced July 20.
Roleson, who will begin his new duties on July 26, joins the Horizon League
staff after spending the last five years as sports information director at
Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. He replaces Todd Starowitz who resigned
his position as Director of Communications last April.
In his new position, Roleson will coordinate communications efforts for the
Horizon League's 19 championship sports, including men's basketball, with
the assistance of Taylor Payne and Kyle Smith. He will also serve on the
media coordination team for the 2005 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship
First and Second Rounds, the 2005 Women's Final Four and the 2006 Men's
Final Four, all of which will be hosted by Butler University and the Horizon
League.
"We are excited to have Will on board at the Horizon League," said LeCrone.
"With his background in college athletics and NCAA event experience, he is
the perfect fit to help us enhance our overall communications efforts."
As SID at Kent State, Roleson handled media relations for an 18-sport
program and managed a staff that included three full-time assistants, an
historian and various students. He was the primary media contact for Kent
State's Division I-A football program for five years and the men's
basketball team from 2000-2002, during which time the Golden Flashes twice
advanced to the NCAA Tournament, including a run to the "Elite Eight" in
2002.
Prior to being named SID at Kent State in 1999, Roleson was an assistant SID
at the school for three years, working primarily with the women's
basketball, softball and soccer teams.
A native of Brookville, Ind., Roleson served as an assistant editor at Host
Communications, Inc., in Lexington, Ky., from 1994-96 and was an intern in
the men's sports information office at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
from 1993-94.
"I am anxious to get started helping the Horizon League staff and its member
schools spread the message of their success," said Roleson. "This is a bit
of a dream job in that I get to return to Indiana and work with great people
at the office and the schools as well as help to host the upcoming NCAA
championships in Indianapolis."
Roleson, 33, graduated cum laude from Miami (Ohio) University in 1993 with a
bachelor's degree in mass communication. He is an active member of the
College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and the United
States Basketball Writers Association in addition to recently serving as an
official scorer for the Akron Aeros, the Cleveland Indians' Double-AA
affiliate.
He and his wife, the former Cristy Steele of West College Corner, Ind., have
three sons, Noah (4), Jonah (3) and Elijah (1).