College Sports Information Directors of America

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CoSIDA.com/ThankYourSID

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This feature is part of our series of profiles showcasing members throughout the CoSIDA membership during the celebration of CoSIDA Membership Recognition Week for 2021. See more features at CoSIDA.com/ThankYourSID.


Jason Brough – University of Portland, Senior Associate Athletic Director

by Barb Kowal – CoSIDA Director of Professional Development and External Affairs

For nearly 19 years, Jason Brough has been at the University of Portland, starting as assistant SID in 2003 before moving into the sports information director role in 2005l He then was promoted to Assistant AD, Associate AD and has served as Senior Associate AD since July 2013. Brough is the sports administrator for men’s and women’s tennis and is the main media relations contact for the Pilots’ men’s basketball and men’s and women’s tennis programs.
 
Brough shares his perspectives on being a senior administrator, the importance of getting involved in campus, regional and national committee work - especially if you want to be seen as a strategic leader - and also discusses some of the highlights of his career, and more.
 
 
What are some of your top successes and highlights as an athletic communications pro and as a leader of your Portland department? First, department successes.
JB: The first thing that comes to mind involves launching of our in-house video unit, Portland Sports Network. Pretty much out of nothing we turned it into a national award-winning content creating unit. We are one of the few schools of our size to produce and distribute television broadcasts locally and regionally, doing it all internally with UP students and staff. At one time we produced a weekly 30-minute show for the local regional sports network, and we have signed multiple TV deals over the years to showcase our programs. We were also able to build out a TV control room that connects all our facilities and allows us to do great things. Shoutout to James Vega and Jose Nevarez for making all that a reality.
 
How about your personal top achievements in sports communications?
JB: Without a doubt, it was putting together my first season preview as a SID in the summer of 2003 - ya know, when they used to go into glossy print media guides! I had just gotten the job a couple months before … and then I’m sitting in the office of Portland’s soccer head coach, the legendary Clive Charles. At the time, I knew NOTHING about soccer… and he knew that right away. He had just led the women’s team to the NCAA title the previous December while battling cancer. Despite being in the final stages of his battle and knowing that I was in WAY over my head, he patiently took the time and guided me through a great interview and learning session about the game and the team.
 
Coach Charles was the most high-profile coach on our campus and maybe in the entirety of U.S. Soccer at the time (he had recently coached the U.S. Men’s Soccer Team at the Sydney Olympics), and I was the newest and least important person in the department. The grace and generosity he provided me that day really stuck with me. I didn’t know him well and he passed away less than two months later, but just that small interaction was unforgettable. It was fitting that the last match he ever coached was his and University’s first NCAA Championship.
 
Additionally, I was also able to work with a number of amazing soccer icons throughout the years – Christine Sinclair, Megan Rapinoe, Stephanie Lopez-Cox, Luis Robles and many more. Not only did they go on to do great things on the pitch, they were amazing people.
 
I have so many more highlights over the years, including covering our undefeated 2005 NCAA Women’s Soccer Championship team; watching our 2009 men’s basketball team beat UCLA and Oregon and earn a Top 25 ranking for the first time in 50 years; and serving as the men’s tennis sports administrator when they won their first conference title in 2017.
 
 
You've made committee work on your campus and at the NCAA level a priority. To those SIDs who might feel their time is already stretched, what would you say to them about the importance of volunteering on campus and or at regional/national committee levels? How can they get noticed if they are interested in doing so?
JB: I completely understand that we all feel stretched with not enough time in the day, but it is so important to position yourself for committee work, whether that is on campus, within your league or at the national level. It will make you better at your job and allow you to experience a wide range of perspectives while growing your skills as a leader and communicator.
 
I am on numerous committees at University of Portland and it allows me to stay connected with other units on campus. At times I look at my calendar of meetings and slap my forehead, but it is totally worth the effort. Campus committees allow me to share the ‘athletics’ perspective and try to shape the next step(s) for our University. As an alum of the school, that is important to me. It also opens my perspective beyond athletics and has led to many two-way campus partnerships that have made the University better as a whole.
 
I tried for years to get on a national committee before finally having the honor of joining the NCAA Tennis Committee two years ago. I have been able to work closely with a wide range of amazing professionals in the industry through this committee work: NCAA staff, athletic directors, conference administrators, head coaches, ITA leaders, etc. The experience has been amazing and forced me out of my comfort zone, which is always a good thing. In terms of getting noticed, just continue to be persistent and opportunistic. My colleague at UP, Karen Peters, provided some great guidance to me on the nomination and selection process and that helped immensely. I would suggest finding people in your network that have been members of national committees and pick their brain.
 
What is your next career goal? Is it, as you state in your LinkedIn profile, to be a Director of Athletics?
JB: I would love to be a Director of Athletics, but only in the right situation. I’m a bit of a unicorn in our industry having been at the same school for nearly 20 years. I have had the great fortune of working with athletic directors who gave me new opportunities and allowed me to evolve, instead of doing the same thing year after year. I’ve been able to oversee many departments and serve as a sports administrator for various teams. I don’t necessarily have the desire to jump from job to job in order to get an AD gig. If the right institutional fit and opportunity presented itself, I would explore making a move. But there is a reason I have stayed at Portland for so long. I am still getting new opportunities to grow as a professional in the industry right here on The Bluff… and I do truly bleed Pilot Purple.
 
 
Favorite getaway spot for you ... and why ...
JB: The Oregon Coast… me and my wife love the outdoors, camping and fishing so we try to get away whenever we can. That’s the place we go to decompress and get rejuvenated. Maui isn’t too bad either. We got married on Kapalua Beach on the Fourth of July and love going back.
 
If you were not in college athletics, what other career path do you think you would have taken?
JB: If I had to go a different direction career-wise I think it would involve teaching/coaching or educational administration. I coached little league right after college and helped my coached my niece’s basketball team when she was young and loved it. I also enjoy being a guest lecturer, so I think it would be a good fit for my skillset.
 
If you could trade jobs with someone you know, who would you trade with and why?
JB: I wouldn’t be opposed to switching with my guy Assistant Media Relations Director Neal Iwamoto out in Hawaii. Who wouldn’t love working in that environment? Plus, I think it would be good for Neal to experience the beautiful Portland seasonal weather!