Valdosta State officially has its second sports information director in university history.
Shawn Reed will be the new SID, replacing the recently retired Steve Roberts July 1, VSU Director of Athletics Herb Reinhard announced.
"We are truly excited to have Shawn join the VSU athletic staff," Reinhard said. "He has big shoes to fill in replacing Steve, who retired as one of the deans of the sports information profession."
Reed has six years of experience in the sports information field at various levels.
The Wake Forest graduates most recent position was public relations manager for FitzBradsaw Racings No. 14 Navy Dodge and driver David Stremme in the NASCAR Busch Series.
Before that, Reed was a member of the media relations team at Georgia Southern, where he made his biggest splash.
From December of 1999 to 2003, Reed was assistant athletic director before being named interim director of media relations.
Reed also spent a year as media relations intern with the Atlantic Coast Conference and a season as intern with the media relations department of the NFLs Carolina Panthers.
"Shawn has a strong background in the SID field and has worked with some nationally respected programs," Reinhard said. "We look forward to the new ideas he will bring to our athletic department in general and to the sports information office in particular."
Reed wound up at VSU after various other interviews coming back to Georgia where he spent a large portion of his career.
The chance to work in a state he was familiar with and come to one of Division IIs strongest athletic program brought him to Valdosta.
"Just knowing the athletic tradition at Valdosta State and knowing what a good program it is nationally drew me to it," Reed said. "Having been at Georgia Southern I also know the state quite a bit, and the media in the state.
"For me it was a comfortable situation."
The former editor of Georgia Southerns award-winning Soar football program looks to hit the ground running, preparing for the upcoming fall season as well as redesigning the Blazers Web site.