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This story is part of our February 2022 CoSIDA 360 package, to view more stories,
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Back to College
Former pro sports PR directors have returned to campus.
by Will Roleson – CoSIDA Associate Executive Director @wroleson
As most people graduate college, they go on to the professional ranks of their chosen vocation.
Many athletics communicators, however, stay in college and pursue their passion of promoting their universities and student-athletes.
Some head to professional sports and make their name there. And, some of those make their way back to college athletics departments.
Following are seven Q&As with several college athletics communicators who previously worked in the pros including Jeff Evans, Steve Fink, Pete Moris, Paul Rovnak, Jimmy Stanton, Ross Taylor and Brent Williamson. They share their career tracks, tips and stories in their own words.
Jeff Evans
Western Washington University – Director, Athletic Communications
Pro sports experience: Seattle Mariners
Describe your career path.
JE: I started working in sports information as a freshman in college when CoSIDA Hall of Famer Rod Commons came in and talked to one of my classes at Washington State University. He talked about publicizing John Olerud, Drew Bledsoe and others...and I was hooked from there. I started working in the baseball press box and before long was learning how to write news releases and working on media guides.
What did you enjoy most (and perhaps least) about working in professional sports?
JE: It was always my dream to work in professional sports once I got going down my career trek, and specifically in Major League Baseball and with the Mariners. There is something pretty special about working with the team you grew up watching like I did with the Mariners. Kind of like you are living in a history book of your younger years since I was surrounded by players I grew up watching like Ken Griffey Jr., Jay Buhner, Dan Wilson and Edgar Martinez. One of the cool things was that those players were even better people than they were players.
Do you have any especially interesting stories about your pro days?
JE: There are many moments I look back on that were pretty special. Every time Ichiro got his 200th hit, a player's first career home run, a combined no-hitter...but being front-and-center for Felix Hernandez's perfect game was magical. It was a Wednesday afternoon on a beautiful August day in Seattle...and being there with Felix after his moment in history was very cool. I was in the training room with him making sure he got to his media hits with ESPN and MLB Network, and it was the first time he got the chance to watch his final pitch in the perfect game. Kind of a surreal moment. Other top moments were when I first met Ken Griffey Jr. at spring training after we signed him....and I was scared to meet him since he was my childhood hero. And touring New York with Robinson Cano and doing the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon was kind of surreal.
What drew you to the college ranks and why? And, why at your current institution?
JE: I spent 10 great years in Major League Baseball, but there became a time where the travel and the daily grind was just getting to be a lot with a young family. As crazy as jobs are as an SID at a college, professional sports are a non-stop media machine. I knew I wanted to get back to my college roots at some point after my time at Washington State and Arizona State, it just had to be a good fit … and I wanted to stay in the Northwest. Another opportunity at a Northwest college didn't work out and then everything lined up with WWU. Great community, great activities and my life is in a 5-mile radius with work and the kids' school. I am grateful for WWU allowing me to return to college athletics and so proud of the work our student-athletes and coaches accomplish in every facet.
What skills or tricks-of-the-trade did you learn/practice in the pros that you apply to your current job (particularly anything that might not be common in college PR)?
JE: I learned how to be more efficient...but that's tough when you are balancing so many sports. In MLB I was hyper-focused on one sport and pretty much one division. I also learned how to prepare material that can be used properly...for the media, for fans and how to format all that so it can be digested easily. The biggest challenge has been the social media and digital media world, but we are all adjusting.
What is the best thing about working in college athletics and in your current position?
JE: By far the student-athletes and the coaches I get to work with. I am pretty lucky that we have richly successful programs at WWU, but even beyond that, promoting these wonderful people is what I love most. It's always an uphill battle and there are many speed bumps along the way, but the pros far outweigh the cons.
What advice would you give anyone looking to move from college to professional sports (things to consider, be prepared for, etc.)?
JE: If you are looking to get into professional sports, the transition is tough, I won't lie. I spent six years at Arizona State working with the baseball program trying to carve my niche to get to the next level. Meet people...the scouts, the front office personnel...and make connections. The hardest part of the transition from college to the pros was the fact that it was EVERY SINGLE DAY. Game notes every day. Media requests every day. It was exhausting, but also really cool. If this is your dream, go for it, and don't look back.
Gallery: (2-1-2022) Jeff Evans
Steve Fink
University of South Carolina – Associate AD/Communications & Public Relations
Pro sports experience: Kansas City Royals
Describe your career path.
SF: I’ve had the opportunity to work in professional baseball, both at the minor league (3 years in Triple-A ball in Denver) and major league (12 1/2 years with the Kansas City Royals) levels in media/public relations, and have worked in athletics communications at three universities (2 years at Colorado, 5 years at TCU and now in my 17th year at South Carolina). So I’ve run the gamut of both pro and college sports, in both minor and major league baseball, at a smaller private school in non-Power 5 conferences and at flagship state universities in major conferences.
What did you enjoy most (and perhaps least) about working in professional sports?
SF: What I enjoyed most was the opportunity to travel to many great cities, see the ballparks (I’ve been to MLB games in 32 different stadiums), stay in nice hotels, bank the per diem!, meet a lot of famous and interesting people along the way - both in and out of baseball, and watch the best baseball players in the world play in-person every day and get paid to do it.
What I enjoyed least was late night arrivals in a city, waking up in a hotel room (maybe your third different room in week) and taking a minute to figure out what day of the week it was, what city you were in and where the bathroom was! Many don’t realize that between the time you turn off your team’s game and before you turn on the game the next night, we had a post-game press conference, bussed to the airport, flew to another city, bussed to the hotel, waited for the luggage to arrive, and got to bed at 3 or 4 in the morning, before heading to the ballpark by mid-afternoon. And there are very few days off from the start of spring training in mid-February to the end of the season. It’s a marathon.
Do you have any especially interesting stories about your pro days?
SF: I was the PR Director when George Brett got four hits on Sept. 30, 1992, to reach 3,000 for his career and then was one of about 10 people at Brett’s house when he got the call welcoming him to the Baseball Hall of Fame. I had a VIP pass at the induction ceremony in Cooperstown later that summer, sitting a row ahead of Bob Uecker (no, he wasn’t in the Front Row!). I was on a bus when Bo Jackson showed me something he had bought called a “cell phone” that you could make phone calls without it being wired to anything. I’d never seen anything like it and couldn’t comprehend how it worked.
What drew you to the college ranks and why? And, why at your current institution?
SF: Family was the biggest reason I left MLB and got back into the college ranks. While an SID requires a lot of hours as we all know, I found the schedule to be more manageable than MLB, where you play 162 games, half on the road, plus another 45 days of spring training away from home. That’s a lot of time away and with a growing family, I felt like I was missing out on too much. I always said MLB is a great job for a young, single person. I loved the job, but needed to find more time for my family and more balance in my life.
What skills or tricks-of-the-trade did you learn/practice in the pros that you apply to your current job (particularly anything that might not be common in college PR)?
SF: Probably the best skill I learned was to use my time wisely and work ahead as much as possible. Having to do game notes every day, the more you could get done early really helped from a time-management standpoint. If something unexpected came up (and it often did), I wasn’t stressed out and scrambling to get my notes done. I also learned how to handle losing. In MLB, even the best teams lose 60 games a year. While losing is always disappointing, I learned that you have no control over that and you can’t let it affect your work, your professionalism or your mental well-being. It also makes you appreciate the wins even more. I also found that you need an outlet - running was a great way for me to relieve stress, explore the cities and give me something else to focus on which helped my mental well-being.
What is the best thing about working in college athletics and in your current position?
SF: The best thing about all of the jobs I’ve had is the people. Whether it’s your staff, your peers in the business, the coaches, players, or media members, I’ve always enjoyed the people I have worked with. While there are parts of the job that aren’t as appealing (as is that case with any job), I still can’t think of anything I’d rather do than work in sports, go to games, be part of the team, and relish in the victories - knowing the teamwork, time and effort that everyone put in to have that success. How great is it to talk ball every day and get paid to do it?
What advice would you give anyone looking to move from college to professional sports (things to consider, be prepared for, etc.)?
SF: When you are with a professional team, it’s that team and sport 24/7/365. In baseball, when your team is at home for a 7- or 10-game homestand, it’s not uncommon to be in the office for a 14-hour day, every day. If your team is not very competitive, like the year we started 1-16, it makes for a very long season with a lot of “meaningless” games. You better love that sport, as it can consume you.
Gallery: (2-1-2022) Steve Fink
Pete Moris
Virginia Tech, Associate AD, Strategic Communications
Pro sports experience: Kansas City Chiefs
Describe your career path.
PM: I played basketball at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. After my sophomore season, I had my postseason meeting with my head coach Brad Soderberg (who later went on to be the head coach at South Dakota State, Wisconsin, St. Louis University and Lindenwood University … and also won an NCAA title as an assistant with Tony Bennett at Virginia). He basically asked what I wanted to do after graduation and what I was doing about it. At that point I hadn’t even declared a major. But I told him that my dream job would be to work in the NFL and that pretty much started the ball rolling. After a lot of rejection letters, I finally got a training camp PR internship with the Indianapolis Colts, and that pretty much sealed it for me that football PR was what I wanted to do.”
What did you enjoy most (and perhaps least) about working in professional sports?
PM: Sundays at Arrowhead Stadium were pretty amazing. To roll in and literally see acres and acres of parking lots filled with tailgaters was pretty unbelievable, especially with the smoke and smell of BBQ wafting through the air. In terms of being comparable to college towns, Kansas City and Green Bay were probably the closest you could get. To walk onto a field or a locker room and think about all the Hall of Fame players who had played there or walked in the same halls was pretty amazing. But the best thing about pro sports is the best thing about college sports – the relationships. To have a vested interest in the success of players and coaches is cool, but to have your families know each other and to have a relationship deeper than the game is the most rewarding part.
Do you have any especially interesting stories about your pro days?
PM: The best stories aren’t suitable for public consumption (until my book comes out, #LOL) … The late Lamar Hunt was a fascinating man, probably the most unassuming pro sports owner you’ll ever meet. He left me a voicemail at home one time apologizing that he hadn’t approved his media guide bio yet – he was calling from the World Cup in South Korea. I also had a fascinating conversation with Lamar on Draft Weekend one year about the history of the Chiefs uniform, which hasn’t radically changed since the team moved to Kansas City in 1963. Lamar personally went to the sock factory in North Carolina to make sure they got the striping on the socks accurate. Hanging out with Len Dawson and Willie Lanier in Canton, Ohio during Hall of Fame weekend was pretty enlightening, too. Lenny could still remember in vivid detail the play calls, the protections, the audibles and virtually everything else from any game you cared to name, especially Super Bowl IV. Matriculate it down the field, Lenny!
What drew you to the college ranks and why? And, why at your current institution?
PM: Well, most folks don’t leave pro sports voluntarily, so my skill set translated pretty well to college athletics when I was looking for my next opportunity. Fortunately, having NFL experience does provide some added credibility when working with players who have aspirations of playing professionally. I’ve been fortunate to work at Oklahoma and Virginia Tech, a pair of schools with plenty of history and tradition. Certainly the quality of life living in Blacksburg was appealing for someone who grew up in rural Wisconsin. And without question, there’s nothing quite like Enter Sandman and a capacity crowd at Lane Stadium. Plus I get to live on a mountain and have a 10-minute commute to work in Blacksburg, which is pretty cool.
What skills or tricks-of-the-trade did you learn/practice in the pros that you apply to your current job (particularly anything that might not be common in college PR)?
PM: Certainly nothing groundbreaking. In the NFL, accurate information is a valuable currency, particularly when it comes to the Draft and free agency, so being able to sift through different agendas and be able to provide accurate information is a skill that translates to college sports, especially in the era of the transfer portal and NIL. Being able to help prep coaches and athletes for potential questions and giving them practical advice on how to navigate hot-button topics or questions has also translated well. And of course, you never know when you might get asked for a hard-to-get cell # or email address by an AD or head coach. That’s obviously easier for folks in the era of the smartphone, but having a “robust rolodex” is still important.
What is the best thing about working in college athletics and in your current position?
PM: Working around young people helps keep you young. They’ve got abundant energy and enthusiasm, so that can’t help but rub off. There’s also something to working on a vibrant college campus like Virginia Tech. There’s always something interesting going on in a college town. College athletics is also a great melting pot of different cultures and different people. If you’re not meeting someone new or learning something new in this environment, you’re missing out.
What advice would you give anyone looking to move from college to professional sports (things to consider, be prepared for, etc.)?
PM: It’s probably easier to make the transition from pro sports to college than the other way around. The pace is definitely faster at the pro level. Certainly part of that is driven by the transactional nature of pro sports – there’s a daily churn of an NFL roster when you’re in season. Players are coming and going. And in many cases, coaches and staff are changing frequently, too. That’s certainly becoming more prevalent in the college ranks, too. In terms of the decision-making process in pro sports, that can be very streamlined. Unlike a public university where you often have multiple layers of administration to work through, a simple yes or no from a pro owner, GM or coach can come much quicker. Before COVID, you had open locker rooms and mandated media availability in the NFL, so that’s a bigger animal to manage, as well. Everyone is playing by the same guidelines in terms of media access, which varies widely from one school to another in the college ranks.
Gallery: (2-1-2022) Pete Moris
Paul Rovnak
University of Minnesota, Senior Associate AD/Communications (Football)
Pro sports experience: Washington Capitals
Describe your career path.
PR: I attended Ohio State, majored in journalism and had aspirations of becoming a sports reporter. While in school, I covered the football team for the student newspaper and was sandwiched between two terrific beat writers who went to become extremely successful football reporters. I produced a lot of content while on the beat, but I was just ok at it. I did not have the confidence to ask questions in a crowded media room or the sources to break stories. I mean, Tim May from the Columbus Dispatch was a hero of mine growing up, so most of the time I was just in awe of the work that he and the other dedicated beat writers were producing. I certainly wasn’t going to get in their way, as I knew how valuable their time with coaches and student-athletes was.
Ohio State played in the 2001 Outback Bowl and there were four of us from the school paper who went to Tampa for the week to cover the game. This was before content was produced daily for the internet and we were on winter break, so we were in Tampa for five days to cover an 11 a.m. football game on New Year’s Day. That’s an education in itself. This trip is where I learned about Media Hospitality rooms and it was also where I began to learn that I did not want to be a sports reporter.
Ohio State lost to South Carolina and there was a lot of speculation if Buckeye coach John Cooper was going to keep his job. The answer to that question was no.
It’s important to note that since we were four student reporters for the school newspaper – on a limited budget – that we drove to and from the game in a rented minivan. That’s right around 1,000 miles. We left Tampa for Columbus right after the game and drove through the night. We were stuck in traffic outside of Cincinnati when we heard on the radio that Cooper was out and Ohio State was moving in a new direction. There was a press conference scheduled for that afternoon. I had to write this story.
We beat the traffic and I made it to the press conference where words like “capstone”, “climate” and “standard” were used by the athletic director. I was one of three individuals who interviewed the President of the university that day and Cooper spoke to the media as well. There were three press conferences after driving all night, but it resulted in a story that I was proud of – and at the time – had to be one of the most read articles in the history of the paper. This was major news in Columbus.
I went to a journalism class shortly after and the professor said I looked tired. I was tired. We just drove from Tampa to Columbus and covered one of the biggest stories in college football for the school newspaper.
The professor then gave us an assignment to cover a local school board meeting. I went to that meeting, which could still be going on today, and realized that I did not want to be a reporter.
A friend of mine said I should work in the sports information office. I barely knew what that was (because, who does, right?) but I needed something to do during my senior year. So I took him up (shout out Andy Fledderjohann) on the offer and interviewed for an open student position. I was fortunate to get it and worked with the women’s tennis, men’s lacrosse and men’s soccer teams. I also worked football, basketball, hockey, volleyball games and more.
It was here where I realized that I liked knowing what was going on (sports information) instead of trying to figure out what was going on (journalism/reporting) and decided to change my career path to sports public relations.
I was on my way. Kind of. I had only one year of experience when everyone else who was applying for the same jobs as me had three to four years. I didn’t get any of those jobs, but I did get a lot of rejection letters.
I graduated college in December 2001 and eventually landed a job at a local media buying agency in Columbus. It was awesome and the people were terrific, but I missed working in sports. Instead of writing about an overtime victory or researching for a feature article, I was writing press releases about salad dressing and apple crisp. I enjoyed it, but I didn’t love it.
So I quit.
I took a three-month internship with the American Junior Golf Association. It paid $115 a week and I traveled around the country in a conversion van with five other interns running junior golf tournaments. It had an MTV Road Rules vibe to it.
It was also awesome.
The AJGA internship helped steer my path toward professional sports. We were hosting an event at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla., and the interns were supposed to fill in empty seats at a welcome dinner. I ended up sitting next to an employee who worked for the LPGA and she told me they were hiring.
I applied for the job and went through the interview process. The HR rep called me, told me the salary and asked when I could start. I didn’t counter or ask any questions. I just said tomorrow and got in my car and drove to Florida. I spent the next four years traveling the world running on-site media operations for the LPGA Tour.
From there, I went to Washington D.C. and spent four years working for the Washington Capitals. I have spent the past 11 years working in a number of roles in Athletic Communications at the University of Minnesota.
There’s been a lot of hard work and luck that has gotten me to where I am, but I’m working in public relations today because I made the decision in college that I liked knowing what was going on instead of trying to find out what was going on. I firmly believe I made the right decision.
What did you enjoy most (and perhaps least) about working in professional sports?
PR: I always say that we work in the people business and whether collegiate sports or professional sports, the best thing about working in them is the people. Woody Hayes was right. You Win With People. I have been fortunate to travel the world and meet amazing individuals at every stop. They all have impacted me. Whether it was a taxi ride in an old Toyota Camry in George, South Africa or a celebratory dinner with staff after an NHL Draft – everyone I have met working in sports has impacted me. If I spend five minutes or five years with someone, I try to learn from them.
The thing I enjoyed the most about working at the LPGA was working hard every day to advance women’s golf and support the longest-standing women’s professional league in the world. It was an awesome experience and the passion of the LPGA staff is unmatched. People in sports often talk about family, but that staff is a family and they take care of one another no matter what. They are the absolute best. The media who cover the tour are some of the most dedicated I have worked with and every week was a Super Bowl to the city we were in.
The thing I enjoyed the most about working with the Capitals was that there was a singular pursuit of winning the Stanley Cup. That’s what drove you every day. After wins, a member of the equipment staff would always say “Way to out-PR them, today.” I loved that and after wins at Minnesota, I tell members of our equipment, medical and PR staffs the same thing. When the team wins, everyone wins. You have to enjoy the moments.
Do you have any especially interesting stories about your pro days?
PR: There are too many interesting stories to list, so I will share some of the best advice I received. It came from an executive at the LPGA and he said, “Don’t be a jerk (except he didn’t use the word jerk), because the person you are a jerk to today could be your boss tomorrow.” I imagine working in sports is kind of like working in a circus. You travel around the country and everybody knows everybody. It’s one big family and people change jobs often. So yeah, don’t be a jerk.
I tell people there are two rules if you want to work in sports. 1. Don’t be a jerk. 2. Don’t get sick. You can break rule No. 2 – that happens all the time – but you can’t break rule No. 1.
What drew you to the college ranks and why? And, why at your current institution?
PR: The Capitals won the President’s Trophy as the NHL’s best team in the regular-season in 2009-10. Washington faced Montreal in the first round of the playoffs and promptly went up 3-1. My first two playoff runs with the Capitals ended at home with a Game 7 loss. I don’t recommend that. My third playoff run ended the same way, as Montreal won the series 4-3. I remember standing next to a washing machine in the bowels of the arena when the horn sounded and the Canadiens were over the boards and on their way to the second round of the playoffs.
At that moment, I knew I had just worked my last NHL game. My wife and I had a desire to be closer to family, and I had kicked the tires on a few jobs over the years. My wife is from Minnesota and there is a rule that if you marry a woman from Minnesota, you will eventually move to Minnesota. It was time.
I had a few connections in the area (always be networking, people) from my golf and NHL days. I also had reached out to prior leaders in the Minnesota Athletic Communications office, who told me they would keep my resume on file. Problem was, there were no jobs then.
Shortly after our season ended in D.C., a position opened at Minnesota to work with the men’s hockey program. I applied and was fortunate to be offered the job. I grew up in Big Ten country and working at a Big Ten university in my wife’s home state was everything I could have asked for. To work with a program that is so proudly woven into the fabric of Minnesota culture made it even better.
I quickly became a Golden Gopher.
However, I was not very good at the traditional SID duties. In the NHL, we had a PR staff of four people for one team. At Minnesota, I was now the only person responsible for everything. I had so many questions. Colleges still use statcrew? What is collegehockeystats.net? Why is the live scoring not working? I wore out the carpet between my office and that of my coworker Michelle Traversie. She was so kind to me and helped me through that first year. Eleven years later and she still helps me every day.
Minnesota offered everything I was looking for: Big Ten school, large media market and close to family. It’s given me everything I have ever wanted, and hopefully I have done the same.
What skills or tricks-of-the-trade did you learn/practice in the pros that you apply to your current job (particularly anything that might not be common in college PR)?
PR: Working at the LPGA was my first real job working in sports. I was 22-years-old, and every week I was fortunate enough to work tournaments that featured 144 of the best golfers in the world. Many times, these golfers ranged in age from 16 to 56 and they hailed from around 25 different countries. I had to be able to get along with everyone – from the best player in the world, to the phenom to the one-time sponsor exemption – and I had to learn how certain individuals wanted to be communicated with and adapt every week. I also worked with new media members every week as well, which also provided some rewarding challenges. I am so thankful for that opportunity, as it helped prepare me for my next roles, working with some of the best hockey players in the word and working with 200 staff and 650 student-athletes at Minnesota.
What is the best thing about working in college athletics and in your current position?
PR: There is nothing better than game day. It’s what everyone – student-athletes, coaches, administration, external units, etc. – work toward all year. College sports are unique in that fans are so connected to them. The affinity toward one's alma mater is amazing and we have terrific fans at Minnesota. I actually think Minnesota has one of the best fan bases in the country because they support every sport and not just one or two. I have been fortunate to witness some momentous wins at Minnesota and there is no better feeling than seeing the pure joy on the face of a student-athlete or a fan after a big win.
I also enjoy that every day is different. I read former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer’s book Taking Heat shortly after it was published in 2005. Early in it, he wrote about how everyday he had to anticipate what questions the press would ask him and he had to be prepared for anything.
Working in Athletic Communications is pretty similar, in that you never know what you are going to get each day. You have to be prepared for anything. I often describe it as working in a funnel. When people don’t know something (can I retweet this recruit?) or are seeking information (when was the last time we held three straight non-conference opponents to under 14 points in consecutive years on the road?) or have questions (I lost my credential, can I get a new one?) or want something shared (can we send out a release to help push tickets?) or want to travel down memory lane (my dad played basketball in 1907, can you send me some photos?) or the unique request (I collect schedule cards, can you send me some?) they throw it in the funnel and wait for an answer. Communications are the ones working in the funnel going through all the information and providing the correct answer to those who asked – all while doing our own job as well. There’s satisfaction in being able to help everyone and being trusted to help everyone.
What advice would you give anyone looking to move from college to professional sports (things to consider, be prepared for, etc.)?
PR: Be willing to move. Be willing to start that new chapter. I met with a student once in D.C. who told me their dream job was to work in community relations for their hometown NHL team. That’s awesome, but there is only one of those jobs in the world. It was filled, and it was not opening up anytime soon. This person didn’t want to move and didn’t pursue any other jobs in that field. I am sure they are happy now, but gosh, I wish sometimes people would be willing to run the marathon instead of the 400.
Sports are also about working nights, weekends and holidays. We are the entertainment that others seek to enjoy. If you can’t handle that, then don’t work in sports. Period.
Lastly, get as much real-life experience as you can while you are in college. That old adage that the best ability is availability is true even in athletic communications. I have never asked anyone what their GPA was, but I am more than interested in the applicable skills they learned while they were an undergrad.
Gallery: (2-1-2022) Paul Rovnak
Jimmy Stanton
University of Oregon, Senior Associate Athletics Director, Communications
Pro sports experience: Tennessee Titans, Houston Astros
Describe your career path.
JS: It certainly hasn’t been the straight line or spending an entire career in one place I had envisioned, but the opportunity to build friendships with so many of the incredibly hard-working, talented, and noble people in our industry across multiple stops is what I have valued the most.
What did you enjoy most (and perhaps least) about working in professional sports?
JS: The best part about working in professional sports is experiencing how an entire major metropolitan area can be captivated by a team during a playoff run, as I was fortunate enough to witness in Nashville during the Titans’ Super Bowl run in January 2000 and in Houston during the Astros’ World Series run in October 2005. Probably the most notable example of this was in 2017 (as a fan), when the Nashville Predators completely took over the city of Nashville during their Stanley Cup run. If you’ve never experienced playoff hockey, by all means, do so.
Do you have any especially interesting stories about your pro days?
JS: The Enron corporation collapsed in the Fall of 2001, and they were the naming rights partner for the Astros’ ballpark (Enron Field, now Minute Maid Park). The process of taking the name off of the ballpark, finding a new naming rights partner, and all of the other dynamics was fascinating, as was the public relations strategy that was created. There were two components of the strategy created by our team president, Pam Gardner, and our senior VP of comms and operations, Rob Matwick, that were particularly effective as well as a great education at such an early stage in my career. The first was that Enron was a major corporate citizen, and its collapse resulted in the loss of many jobs and life savings of Enron employees, as well as a drastic loss of funding for most every major Houston charitable organization. With that in mind, we realized that in the grand scheme of things, a sports team losing a ballpark naming rights partner was very minor compared to the impact on people’s lives, and we would not discuss it as if it was a devastating event for the team, which it actually was for so many people in the community. The second was that we would only have one voice speaking on this, and that was Pam, who was extremely disciplined and always stayed on message. The combination of the strategy and how it was executed allowed the organization to navigate what could have been a damaging event with as little interruption to normal operations as possible.
What drew you to the college ranks and why? And, why at your current institution?
JS: I rejoined the college ranks for the opportunity to work with our athletic director, Rob Mullens, who is an exceptional leader and mentor, and so many other incredible and talented people here at Oregon. I also greatly enjoy the chance to watch young people, both student-athletes and staff members, develop and realize their potential along their respective journeys. The combination of innovation and excellence that the Oregon brand represents was also certainly a factor in making the move from Nashville to Eugene.
What skills or tricks-of-the-trade did you learn/practice in the pros that you apply to your current job (particularly anything that might not be common in college PR)?
Best practices for communications in the professional and college sports spaces are very similar, and most notably, you’re either able to build relationships and provide value to others within the organization, or you’re not. I am grateful that early in my career at the Astros, there was a consistent emphasis by our senior VP, Jay Lucas, on developing skill sets in crisis communications, strategic planning, etc., rather than just focusing on game notes and statistics. One critical difference is the communications contact in college almost always has primary responsibility for the social media execution for the teams they cover, while in the pro ranks, teams typically have entire departments (with several people) dedicated to this entirely.
What is the best thing about working in college athletics and in your current position?
JS: The best part about college athletics is observing the student-athlete development from when they arrive as freshmen to graduation, witnessing all of the growth and accomplishments along the way, both as individuals and with their respective teams. Most student-athletes enter college with a far greater sense of how to tell their own story than any of us did when I was in college in the mid-‘90s, but as one colleague shared recently, it’s rewarding when the opportunity arises to help someone find their own voice, discover what they truly value about their own story and journey, and how to best share that that story with the world.
What advice would you give anyone looking to move from college to professional sports (things to consider, be prepared for, etc.)?
JS: College athletics is more complex, as in professional sports, the organization’s focus is more narrowed and there are fewer critical stakeholders - you’re focused on helping your organization win championships, make a positive difference in the community, connect with fans, and help to run a profitable business for your ownership. There are many factors in college athletics – recruiting, academics/graduation, fundraising, campus administration and faculty perspectives, NCAA rules compliance, alumni, public records requests, and many other items that are not present in pro sports. That doesn’t mean the professional world is “easier” but that there are fewer dynamics in play than in college athletics. For those interested in pro sports, make sure you thoroughly research the ownership situation of the franchise in question, because it’s the most important factor of whether an organization will be successful in competition and functional off the field, both of which will impact your enjoyment of your role.
Gallery: (2-1-2022) Jimmy Stanton
Ross Taylor
Clemson University, Assistant AD/Football Communications
Pro sports experience: Washington Football Team
Describe your career path.
RT: At any given point during my childhood, I wanted to be one of three things: a sportswriter, a play-by-play announcer or a TV producer for game broadcasts, so it stands to reason that I ended up in a business where I work with all three routinely. I grew up in Dallas and was raised on The Dallas Morning News and got a taste of my original dream job coming out of high school, interning for The Dallas Morning News’ sports section for 10 weeks. But some of my most positive interactions from that job came while interacting with public relations professionals.
I went on to study journalism and work in newsrooms at the University of Missouri, but I still felt called in this direction. In 2010, I interned in public relations for a summer with the team presently known as the Washington Football Team. I then finished my final semester at Mizzou, and after six months interning with FleishmanHillard in St. Louis, I was a few weeks away from driving to Arizona to intern for the Fiesta Bowl, but I got a call from Washington saying that the 2011 NFL Lockout was ending and a full-time job was opening up. I spent seven seasons in Washington from 2011-17 before accepting my current role at Clemson in the summer of 2018.
What did you enjoy most (and perhaps least) about working in professional sports?
RT: The NFL gave me the opportunity to see so many parts of the country and explore so many great cities and atmospheres. The league’s national (and international) reach and the ability to see 30-plus markets was one of my favorite ancillary perks of the job, and it’s one that’s hard to replicate in a 14-team regional conference model with divisions. More broadly and more importantly, the professional ranks were tremendous for my career development, as the size and intensity of that public spotlight is hard to replicate, both positively and negatively.
Two of the biggest adjustments for me were the calendar and the time-shift. Going from pro coaches who prioritized early mornings (plus meetings and practices during business hours) to college where our academic block is in the morning and meetings and practices aren’t until the afternoon/evening/night was a little disorienting in a business/sport in which rhythm and routine dictate so much. And though the NFL news cycle never sleeps and you’re always on alert, there is more of an offseason than there is at the college level, where it’s always recruiting season. It’s completely coincidental, but the signs erected by the City of Clemson that welcome you into the city limits bear the slogan “In season every season.” I’ve always found that ironically apropos.
Do you have any especially interesting stories about your pro days?
RT: I could be part of programs that win the next 40 national championships and I’ll still be known as the guy trying not to break a smile behind Kirk Cousins in the infamous “You Like That!” video in 2015. Every year, I use that as a humorous anecdote with our players and staff that cameras are always on and you never know when you could go viral.
Beyond much more profound professional experiences and case studies, I’ll also never forget watching European media members’ amusement at watching American media, players and coaches attempt to mentally process Washington and the Bengals tying a game in London in 2016.
What drew you to the college ranks and why? And, why at your current institution?
RT: I always told people that, professionally, I love the business that is pro football, but speaking personally as a consumer and a fan, I adore the on-field product and pageantry that is college football. And I think both of those things remain true. Even when I was in the NFL, college football remained a passion of mine and was always going to hold a certain allure for me.
No matter what I was doing, I had always wanted to follow my dreams at what I viewed as the “highest” level, but as I built my career, my values began to adapt and become much clearer. I had bet on — and placed value in — brands and cachet, but I was ready to instead bet on and place value in people. When I interviewed at Clemson, the people involved in Clemson Football and Clemson Athletics blew me away. One of my internship supervisors at FleishmanHIllard once told me the best question a job candidate ever asked him was, “If your son or daughter was applying for this position, would you want him or her to work for this company?” That always resonated with me, and the answer here at Clemson was an unequivocal “yes.”
What skills or tricks-of-the-trade did you learn/practice in the pros that you apply to your current job (particularly anything that might not be common in college PR)?
RT: This is going to sound like a cop-out, but the answer — as it always is in this business — is about relationships. In the pro ranks, media was on-site 5-6 days a week. You’re literally seeing your media corps more than you see your family for at least half of the year. That’s a great opportunity when it comes to messaging but it can also be a lot to manage when it comes to the rest of your organization’s relationship (and potential fatigue) with the media. Being able to facilitate access, relationships and interactions that are mutually beneficial to both sides in the long run remains at the core of our profession’s existence.
Hard skills and tips and tricks are beneficial, but we aren’t structural engineers or anything where missing competency with one skill could mean life or death. The soft skills of managing relationships and working with people both inside and outside of your organization will always be more important than mastery of Photoshop layer masks or other hard skills like that we pick up along the way.
What is the best thing about working in college athletics and in your current position?
RT: I had hoped this would be the case, and it’s turned out to be 100 percent true: the opportunity to work with and help develop young people has been incredibly rewarding. When I was in the pros, I used to joke that my wife helps society by working in genetic testing while I told millionaires not to say dumb things on Twitter. At times, it felt like many of our players arrived as finished products in terms of how they interacted with the media and the public, and at times it felt like we were dragging them against their will to complete media obligations they really only agreed to by technicality in their contracts. At Clemson, I feel like I spend every day working with young men who look forward to those chances to grow and learn and — to steal football vernacular — get those live reps to seize those opportunities and share who they are as people with the world.
On rare occasions in the pros, I worried about some players as it pertained to life after football. Here, I get to be part of building these young men to thrive when that day comes, and I get to help them with how they face questions in all aspects of life, whether it’s a media setting, a job interview, etc. Seeing them go on to do great things — whether it’s watching them go No. 1 in the NFL Draft, become fathers, start businesses, pursue new careers, etc. — has been exponentially more rewarding than I could have ever imagined.
My time in college athletics has been all about relationships. There were times in the pros when someone would get hurt on Thursday, we’d sign someone on Friday, he’d play Sunday and get cut on Monday before I ever had a conversation with him. Being in a place where, in most cases, I’ve got 3-5 years to build relationships with the vast majority of the roster has been a game-changer.
What advice would you give anyone looking to move from college to professional sports (things to consider, be prepared for, etc.)?
RT: I learned so many more lessons about career development from my boss in Washington than I did lessons about PR. The most important one was to always understand and remember for whom you’re working. Know what is important to the people for whom you work. Understand what value you can provide them. The beauty of our profession is how broad our skill sets have to be and how many different ways we can make an impact: media/public relations, crisis communications, media training and messaging, content creation, social media, event planning/operations/management, statistical research, copywriting/speech writing, etc. How those responsibilities divide up depends on your employer, but what an amazing opportunity that wide smorgasbord of roles gives us to provide value, no matter what level, league or sport you’re in.
My career somewhat fast-tracked in part because, even at 22 years old in a department of four people, Mike Shanahan valued statistical research and historical anecdotes for his messaging in team meetings, and I was able and available to help provide it to him at 7 a.m. after his workouts and before his meetings. Other coaches and executives and administrators I’ve worked with have found value in being provided briefings before media appearances. It’s very, very easy to fall into the trap of doing this job for the praise of other PR people and SIDs or for public recognition by media and others. But we have to always remember we are in a service business, and if you’re serving and impacting the people you work for in ways they recognize and appreciate, good things will happen.
Between college and the pros, your day-to-day may be vastly different (hours, calendars, interactions, specific job functions, etc.), but identifying (and leaning into) what is needed to be the right-fitting piece in the larger puzzle of your organization is what gives you value, whether that’s finding a way to help recruit a 17-year-old or helping a multi-time Super Bowl Champion address a room full of grown men.
Gallery: (2-1-2022) Ross Taylor
Brent Williamson
Wofford College, Associate AD for Athletic Communications
Pro sports experience: Atlanta Falcons, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars
Describe your career path.
BW: I was a history major at Wake Forest and really had no idea what I wanted to do after college. I knew that I liked sports and enjoyed writing, so a friend of the family introduced me to Hunter Reid at Furman. After talking to him and helping him out one summer, I worked in the sports information office my senior year at Wake Forest with John Justus. I had to do an internship for graduate school at Richmond and I sent by mail resumes to every team in the NFL along with a lot of NBA, MLB teams and colleges looking for that internship. I ended up getting a response back from Charlie Taylor at the Atlanta Falcons, which began my NFL experience. After two seasons in Atlanta, five seasons in Jacksonville and a year in Houston, it was time for a change. I spent four years at the University of Maine before moving closer to home at Wofford, a job that Hunter Reid recommended me for as things came full circle.
What did you enjoy most (and perhaps least) about working in professional sports?
BW: Obviously working with an NFL team meant that you were working with some of the best athletes in the world, along with the best coaches and staff. You also got to work with the best in the media – locally and nationally. Being able to work in media relations at four Super Bowls was incredible, along with being able to visit so many cities and stadiums along the way was great. Professional sports though has become more of a business – a billion dollar business – in that most decisions are driven by how it can increase revenue or franchise value.
Do you have any especially interesting stories about your pro days?
BW: Needless to say the crisis management skills I learned in the NFL have served me well over the years. Being a part of an expansion franchise in Houston was memorable, just because everything the team did it was doing for the first time – first expansion draft (my first official day on the job), first draft pick (David Carr), first training camp, first time the stadium roof opened, to first franchise win over in-state opponent Dallas. In Jacksonville, there is a bronze jaguar statue outside the stadium. One day, a kid got his head stuck in the mouth of the statue – the fire department had to cut off a huge bronze tooth to free the kid – one of the more interesting stories to make the news.
What drew you to the college ranks and why? And, why at your current institution?
BW: I left the Texans with a desire to get back to the college ranks and started looking around. For some reason the opportunity at Maine had everything I was looking for, except location! I took a chance and ended up working with the men’s ice hockey team. We went to three Frozen Fours in four seasons. My first year there we advanced to the national championship game – the pure emotion and excitement of the student-athletes (even though we lost 1-0) during that playoff run solidified the fact that college athletics was the right place for me. I made the move to Wofford College mainly for location, as it was 30 minutes from where I grew up. Over the past 15 years, I have been able to be a part of nine NCAA FCS playoff appearances with football and five NCAA tournament appearances with men’s basketball.
What skills or tricks-of-the-trade did you learn/practice in the pros that you apply to your current job (particularly anything that might not be common in college PR)?
BW: I learned early to always have a piece of paper and pen with me at all times. My boss in Jacksonville, Dan Edwards, gave us this great index card holder for Christmas one year and I still have it in my pocket almost every day. The other thing that I learned is to treat everyone the same. That undrafted rookie free agent or seventh round draft pick might turn into a starter one day and trust me that they remember how they were treated. This also goes to developing a great relationship with the athletic trainers, equipment staff, grounds crew, and administrative assistants. You never know when one of them will be the one that can help you in a difficult situation. They also tend to know more about what is really going on in the building than the rest of the administration!
What is the best thing about working in college athletics and in your current position?
BW: The best thing about college athletics are the student-athletes. Getting to know them and watching them grow over their four years. I want to be not only their athletic communications person, but someone on campus that isn’t a professor or coach that they can relate to. When they graduate, I always thank them for letting me be a part of their college journey. Then, seeing them come back to campus for homecoming or other events years later and seeing what they have achieved in life is pretty special. Another part of college athletics is that there is something different every day, which keeps me engaged in the job and prepared for the unpredictable.
What advice would you give anyone looking to move from college to professional sports (things to consider, be prepared for, etc.)?
BW: There are more similarities between the professional ranks and college sports than differences. In most cases, the actual job is exactly the same. I would argue that working with a Power 5 football team or a top 25 basketball team has the same demands as a professional team. There is usually more staff and more specialization at the professional level than in college, where you have to be able to do a little bit of everything.
Gallery: (2-1-2022) Brent Williamson
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