Ken Sweeten has been promoted to the position of sports information director at Quinnipiac University as announced by director of athletic communications Chuck Menke and vice president of athletic marketing and external affairs Val Belmonte. Sweeten has served as Quinnipiac athletics’ interim sports information director since August 11.
“I’m honored to be given this opportunity,” Sweeten said. “To be able to direct a sports information department at a Division I institution is something I’ve strived for.”
Sweeten was originally hired by Quinnipiac in November 2006 as the assistant sports information director. In that role he served as the primary media and public relations contact for men’s basketball, baseball, men’s soccer and golf, as well as assisting the sports information director with the day-to-day operation of the department.
In his new role, Sweeten will oversee all sports information department operations for 21 NCAA Division I teams, two graduate assistants as well as the hiring of an assistant sports information director. Sweeten also cooridinates much of the content management for Quinnipiac’s athletic website,
www.QuinnipiacBobcats.com.
Sweeten will assume all communications duties related to Quinnipiac’s nationally ranked men’s ice hockey and will continue to cover baseball and golf. In addition, Sweeten has assumed the contact responsibilities for field hockey and volleyball.
“Ken has performed his responsibilities in an outstanding fashion since arriving at Quinnipiac University, including his interim oversight of the Sports Information Department,” said Menke. “He is highly deserving of the position, and our entire athletics program will benefit greatly from his considerable talents, passion and work ethic.”
Prior to joining Quinnipiac Sweeten held the title of director of athletic media relations/sports information at Pace University, a Division II institute Northeast-10 Conference in Pleasantville, N.Y. At Pace Sweeten was responsible for the media relations activities for Pace’s 21 varsity sports. In 2005 Sweeten helped Pace launch its current website, www.PaceSettersAthletics.com. Sweeten was also responsible for the design, layout, writing and editing of Pace’s media guides for football, women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, softball and lacrosse.
In addition to his sports information duties with the Setters, Sweeten was also a staff advisor for Pace’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee (S.A.A.C.) for one year, a Pace Athletics Hall of Fame Committee member in 2006, and also served as the staff advisor for Pace’s student newspaper, The Paw Print, for which he was honored with the 2005-06 Pace Pride Award for Outstanding Student Organization Advisor. While at Pace, Sweeten was also involved in Habitat for Humanity and the Hurricane Katrina Relief fund raiser.
Before Pace Sweeten was the sports information assistant at Southern Connecticut State University, also a Northeast-10 Conference school, in New Haven, Conn. At SCSU, Sweeten assisted the associate director of athletics for sports information with the day-to-day operations of SCSU’s sports information office.
Prior to Southern Connecticut State, Sweeten worked for a year with the Connecticut Sports Management Group, an organization that operates the Nutmeg State Games. Sweeten has served in several capacities with the Nutmeg State Games including player development, participant recruiting, coaching liaison, sports information director and standings coordinator.
A graduate of Southern New Hampshire University, formerly New Hampshire College, Sweeten graduated in 2000 with a bachelor’s of science degree in sports management with a concentration in marketing and promotions. While at SNHU, Sweeten was a four-year equipment manager for the Penmen’s baseball team as well as the official scorekeeper for the school’s baseball, and men’s and women’s basketball programs.
A current resident of his native Hamden, Conn., Sweeten graduated from Hamden High School in 1996. Sweeten is also a six-year member of the College Sports Information Directors Association (CoSIDA) and a 11-year member of the Greater New Haven Baseball Umpires Association.