College Sports Information Directors of America

“It sounds cliché but [the most rewarding part of the job] really is getting to know the student-athletes. They keep me young. Seeing them succeed and achieve goals that they set at the beginning of the season will always be the thing I love about this job.”
- Amanda Murphy

 
A Disney Park may be the “Most Magical Place on Earth” but time spent on press row is just as exhilarating for North Florida’s assistant director of athletic communications Amanda Murphy.
 
She was first introduced to the sports information field as a student intern at the University of South Carolina, and 10-plus years and 20 visits to Disney World later, Murphy’s excitement for career and fun are at an all-time high.
 
“I’m a big kid at heart and Disney is just one of those places that will always be magical to me. [My husband Braden Radtke and I] have been 10-12 times in the last two years and every time I walk in and see the castle, it’s like the first time,” Murphy said. “There’s always something happening, new things, new places that Disney is constantly doing.”
 
The sentiment also applies to work in athletic communications which explains why she’s been in the field since 2008.
 
“I think sports keep life fresh. You just never know what’s going to end up happening.”

Amanda began her career as a communications assistant in the ASUN Conference office and is currently serving at one of its member schools as the primary contact for women’s soccer, women’s basketball, softball and men’s and women’s tennis.
 
She crisscrossed the East Coast and upper north of the USA in making her path to North Florida. In addition to her work at the ASUN Conference, Murphy spent time at St. Bonaventure (NY) University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Grand Valley State University in Michigan and the University of Illinois Springfield.
 
Since arriving at UNF in 2015, she’s cheered the Ospreys on to several league titles, but for her, the relationships fostered and successes outside of play are just as rewarding.
 
“It sounds cliché but [the most rewarding part of the job] really is getting to know the student-athletes,” Murphy noted. “They keep me young. Seeing them succeed and achieve goals that they set at the beginning of the season will always be the thing I love about this job.
 
“A moment that sticks out is when our women’s tennis team was at Florida Gulf Coast University last year. We came from behind - we were down 3-0 - to win the championship, and Quetzali Vazquez, a senior who is now our assistant coach, came off the court and said to me ‘I did this because of you. You kept yelling for me, and I kept going.’ That was one of those rewarding moments.”
 
And, in just a few short weeks, Amanda and Braden will welcome a new addition to the family - a newborn son to help keep her young.
 
“Balancing the mom and work life will just be an interesting transition. My husband Braden does not have a traditional 9-5 job, and obviously together we don’t have 9-5 jobs. That means there will be some overlap of things and time where we’re going to need our little village in the athletic department to help us take care of our son when I’m at a game and he’s at work. Thankfully, I have the full support of my boss, (assistant AD for communications) Brian Morgan, and athletic director Lee Moon. They know family is everything and very important.”
 
Baby ‘C’ is expected to arrive November 26 and his mom hopes he’ll be able to take his first family trip to Disney the following month. 
 
“It’s going to be interesting," Murphy noted. "There’s a weekend in December that I want to take him to before Christmas and my husband was like ‘You’re insane.’ I know I am, but I really want pictures of him at Christmas time.”