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An accomplished sports writer, page designer, photographer and editor with more than 11 years experience in sports and photojournalism has joined the Lyon College staff as its new sports information director.
Gene McCoy comes to Lyon from the Baxter Bulletin in Mountain Home where he served as sports editor, managing a staff of two sports writers and a copy editor for the 13,000-circulation daily newspaper.
In Mountain Home his responsibilities included covering a variety of sporting events, photography, copy editing, designing and laying out the sports section and scheduling daily assignments to the sports staff while making decisions regarding the overall direction of the sports section.
Lyons SID has been a part-time position in the past and was housed in the athletics department. The position has been revamped into a full-time role and will operate as part of the Office of Public Relations.
We are happy to have someone of Genes experience and talent joining our staff, said Bob Qualls, director of public relations and communications. The Athletics Department has done a good job of handling sports information responsibilities on a part-time basis, but we are expanding the position to provide even better communications about the accomplishments of our student-athletes and our sports teams. We will continue to work closely with the coaches and athletics staff.
McCoy went to the Bulletin as a sports writer in February 1999, covering high school sports, providing photos, writing a bi-weekly sports column, a bi-weekly general interest column and features.
He began his career with the Harrison Daily Times in October 1994 covering high school sports and writing features and columns for Boone Countys 11,000-circulation daily newspaper. He also designed and paginated the sports section and edited copy.
A graduate of North Little Rocks Ole Main high school, McCoy attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
McCoy has won 11 awards in contests sponsored by the Arkansas Press Association and the Associated Press Managing Editors of Arkansas, including honors for sports news writing, sports feature writing, humorous column writing, sports column writing and spot sports photography.