Downer Named Ass't Director at Central Oklahoma
James Downer has been named as the first-ever full-time assistant athletic media relations director at the University of Central Oklahoma.
Downer has served as an intern in the UCO Athletic Media Relations Office the past year before joining the staff full time. He is responsible for assisting in the publication and promotion of UCO's 12 varsity athletic teams and is the primary contact for the athletic Web site.
"James has proven in the last year that he is one of the rising stars in the athletic media relations profession and I'm extremely fortunate to have him," said Mike Kirk, in his 19th year as UCO's assistant athletic director for media relations. "James has turned our Web site into one of the best in the country over the past six months and he will help tremendously in getting our teams the publicity they deserve."
Downer played baseball for four years at Millsaps College, earning a bachelor's degree in History in 2002. He began his career in athletic administration as an intern with the East Coast Hockey League's Jackson Bandits and also served another internship with the Nashville Sounds, the then Triple-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
James studied sport administration at the University of Louisville where he served as a student assistant in the office of athletic compliance while also working as a media relations assistant with the Louisville Bats, the top farm club of the Cincinnati Reds.
Downer joined UCO as an intern last summer while attending the University of Oklahoma and earned his master's in Adult and Higher Education with an emphasis in Intercollegiate Athletic Administration in May.