It's been a few weeks coming, but just wanted to give a shoutout to Charlie Hurley who was officially named the Director of Athletic Media Relations at SFA today. Charlie was previously the primary media contact for basketball and he's now moved into the role previously occupied by Rand Champion (who is now an assistant AD at UALR).
They've been a big friend of The Sawmill over the last couple years. For those who don't know Charlie, it's a very well deserved promotion. Official release from SFA:
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin department of intercollegiate athletics announced Tuesday a trio of changes within the athletic communications office. Charles Hurley, formerly one of the two assistant directors of athletic communications was elevated to the position of director of athletic communications while Luke Bolanos and Kevin Meyersigned on as the assistant directors of athletic communications. The three are responsible for the media relations efforts for all 17 of SFA's intercollegiate athletic teams.
Hurley began his affiliation with SFA in September of 2015 following a three-year stint at SUNY Plattsburgh in Plattsburgh N.Y., where he spent the final year as the sports information director at the NCAA Division III institution. While an assistant director of athletic media relations at SFA, Hurley provided media relations efforts for volleyball, men's basketball, baseball and tennis. Upon accepting the promotion to director of athletic communications, it was decided he will continue his direct oversight of of those programs from a day-to-day media relations standpoint. In addition to working with his assigned sports, Hurley oversee the athletic communications efforts for all of the Lumberjack and Ladyjack teams.
Luke Bolanos | Assistant Director of Athletic Communications (Football, Men's Golf, Women's Golf, Bowling, Softball)
Bolanos comes to SFA after most recently serving as the assistant director of athletic media relations at The University of Virginia's College at Wise in Wise, Virginia, for the last two years. While working at the NCAA Division II level, Bolanos was responsible for all communication efforts of the Cavalier's men's basketball, softball, volleyball, men's and women's tennis, and men's and women's cross country programs. Additionally, Bolanos was the secondary contact for the UVa-Wise football program where he conducted postgame press conferences with coaches and players and supervised Carl Smith Stadium's press box on game days.
For the last two seasons Bolanos was the radio/audio color commentator at Cavalier men's and women's basketball games and sometimes filled in as the play-by-play announcer. He also often helped out with UVa-Wise's softball audio broadcasts. This past spring, Bolanos over saw the media relations side of the NCAA Division II Softball Championship Atlantic Regional as UVa-Wise hosted the postseason tournament.
Bolanos brings plenty of Division I experience to the position after completing internships with the Southland Conference and the Ohio Valley Conference. He is very familiar with the region and the league through his time at the conference office in Frisco, Texas, during the 2014-15 school year. While working as a communications assistant at the Southland, Bolanos was the primary contact for volleyball, softball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, and men's and women's tennis. He worked most of the conference's championships and helped out with the 2015 Southland Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament in Katy, Texas. Bolanos was with the conference when the Southland Bowling League was formed and took over as the league's director of communications.
While with the OVC in the spring of 2014, Bolanos was the media relations contact for men's and women's tennis and handled the communication responsibilities at the tennis championships. Additionally, he managed all social media during the 2014 OVC Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament in Nashville, Tennessee, and the 2014 OVC Baseball Tournament in Jackson, Tennessee.
Prior to his stop at the Southland and the OVC, Bolanos interned with Vanderbilt University Athletics in the Commodores' marketing and sales and then communications department. While in graduate school at Belmont University, Bolanos was a graduate teaching assistant where he taught six different undergraduate physical activity courses.
Throughout his career Bolanos has worked major collegiate sporting events including serving as a media relations assistant at the 2015 NCAA Division I Football Championship, being a part of the media coordination team at the 2014 NCAA Women's Final Four in Nashville and working as a communications assistant at the 2013 Southeastern Conference Football Championship game in Atlanta, Georgia. Bolanos also has professional sports experience as a public relations assistant on game days with the Dallas Mavericks during the 2014-15 season and working as an intern in the Tennessee Titans' ticket office.
He is an active member of College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and attends the annual convention each year.
A native of DeBary, Florida, Bolanos was a four-year letter winner in tennis at Palm Beach Atlantic University. While there, he served as team captain during his junior and senior seasons and earned the Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sportsmanship & Leadership Award for the NCAA Division II Intercollegiate Tennis Association South Region in 2011 and 2012. The former Sailfish achieved a personal best ITA Division II national doubles ranking of No. 13.
Bolanos earned a bachelor's degree in business management from Palm Beach Atlantic in 2012 before adding a master's degree in sport administration from Belmont in 2014.
Kevin Meyer | Assistant Director of Athletic Communications (Soccer, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field)
Prior to his arrival in Nacogdoches, Meyer spent two years as a graduate assistant in the sports information office at Grand Valley State University, an NCAA Division II institution in Allendale, Mich. While there, he was responsible for all communication and statistics pertaining to the women's soccer, women's basketball, baseball and men's and women's golf teams. Additionally, Meyer assisted in the gameday functions for other Laker sports such as football, volleyball and men's basketball. He also served as the public address announcer for both the soccer and baseball teams during his time in Allendale.
While at GVSU, Meyer served as the lead communications person for several postseason events hosted by the Lakers, including GLIAC and NCAA Tournament action. Meyer traveled with the GVSU women's soccer team during trips to the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2015 in Pensacola, Fla., and again in 2016, this time to Kansas City.
Before spending two years at the Division II level, Meyer spent just under two years as a student assistant for the Central Michigan University Athletic Department, where he aided department staff in several aspects including statistical upkeep, updating of game notes and writing feature stories on athletes from the men's and women's basketball teams.
Meyer earned a Bachelor's Degree in Sports Management with an Online Journalism minor from Central Michigan University in 2014, and later added a Masters Degree in Communications from Grand Valley State University in 2017.
They've been a big friend of The Sawmill over the last couple years. For those who don't know Charlie, it's a very well deserved promotion. Official release from SFA:
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - The Stephen F. Austin department of intercollegiate athletics announced Tuesday a trio of changes within the athletic communications office. Charles Hurley, formerly one of the two assistant directors of athletic communications was elevated to the position of director of athletic communications while Luke Bolanos and Kevin Meyersigned on as the assistant directors of athletic communications. The three are responsible for the media relations efforts for all 17 of SFA's intercollegiate athletic teams.
Hurley began his affiliation with SFA in September of 2015 following a three-year stint at SUNY Plattsburgh in Plattsburgh N.Y., where he spent the final year as the sports information director at the NCAA Division III institution. While an assistant director of athletic media relations at SFA, Hurley provided media relations efforts for volleyball, men's basketball, baseball and tennis. Upon accepting the promotion to director of athletic communications, it was decided he will continue his direct oversight of of those programs from a day-to-day media relations standpoint. In addition to working with his assigned sports, Hurley oversee the athletic communications efforts for all of the Lumberjack and Ladyjack teams.
Luke Bolanos | Assistant Director of Athletic Communications (Football, Men's Golf, Women's Golf, Bowling, Softball)
Bolanos comes to SFA after most recently serving as the assistant director of athletic media relations at The University of Virginia's College at Wise in Wise, Virginia, for the last two years. While working at the NCAA Division II level, Bolanos was responsible for all communication efforts of the Cavalier's men's basketball, softball, volleyball, men's and women's tennis, and men's and women's cross country programs. Additionally, Bolanos was the secondary contact for the UVa-Wise football program where he conducted postgame press conferences with coaches and players and supervised Carl Smith Stadium's press box on game days.
For the last two seasons Bolanos was the radio/audio color commentator at Cavalier men's and women's basketball games and sometimes filled in as the play-by-play announcer. He also often helped out with UVa-Wise's softball audio broadcasts. This past spring, Bolanos over saw the media relations side of the NCAA Division II Softball Championship Atlantic Regional as UVa-Wise hosted the postseason tournament.
Bolanos brings plenty of Division I experience to the position after completing internships with the Southland Conference and the Ohio Valley Conference. He is very familiar with the region and the league through his time at the conference office in Frisco, Texas, during the 2014-15 school year. While working as a communications assistant at the Southland, Bolanos was the primary contact for volleyball, softball, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track and field, and men's and women's tennis. He worked most of the conference's championships and helped out with the 2015 Southland Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament in Katy, Texas. Bolanos was with the conference when the Southland Bowling League was formed and took over as the league's director of communications.
While with the OVC in the spring of 2014, Bolanos was the media relations contact for men's and women's tennis and handled the communication responsibilities at the tennis championships. Additionally, he managed all social media during the 2014 OVC Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament in Nashville, Tennessee, and the 2014 OVC Baseball Tournament in Jackson, Tennessee.
Prior to his stop at the Southland and the OVC, Bolanos interned with Vanderbilt University Athletics in the Commodores' marketing and sales and then communications department. While in graduate school at Belmont University, Bolanos was a graduate teaching assistant where he taught six different undergraduate physical activity courses.
Throughout his career Bolanos has worked major collegiate sporting events including serving as a media relations assistant at the 2015 NCAA Division I Football Championship, being a part of the media coordination team at the 2014 NCAA Women's Final Four in Nashville and working as a communications assistant at the 2013 Southeastern Conference Football Championship game in Atlanta, Georgia. Bolanos also has professional sports experience as a public relations assistant on game days with the Dallas Mavericks during the 2014-15 season and working as an intern in the Tennessee Titans' ticket office.
He is an active member of College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and attends the annual convention each year.
A native of DeBary, Florida, Bolanos was a four-year letter winner in tennis at Palm Beach Atlantic University. While there, he served as team captain during his junior and senior seasons and earned the Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sportsmanship & Leadership Award for the NCAA Division II Intercollegiate Tennis Association South Region in 2011 and 2012. The former Sailfish achieved a personal best ITA Division II national doubles ranking of No. 13.
Bolanos earned a bachelor's degree in business management from Palm Beach Atlantic in 2012 before adding a master's degree in sport administration from Belmont in 2014.
Kevin Meyer | Assistant Director of Athletic Communications (Soccer, Men's and Women's Cross Country, Women's Basketball, Men's and Women's Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field)
Prior to his arrival in Nacogdoches, Meyer spent two years as a graduate assistant in the sports information office at Grand Valley State University, an NCAA Division II institution in Allendale, Mich. While there, he was responsible for all communication and statistics pertaining to the women's soccer, women's basketball, baseball and men's and women's golf teams. Additionally, Meyer assisted in the gameday functions for other Laker sports such as football, volleyball and men's basketball. He also served as the public address announcer for both the soccer and baseball teams during his time in Allendale.
While at GVSU, Meyer served as the lead communications person for several postseason events hosted by the Lakers, including GLIAC and NCAA Tournament action. Meyer traveled with the GVSU women's soccer team during trips to the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2015 in Pensacola, Fla., and again in 2016, this time to Kansas City.
Before spending two years at the Division II level, Meyer spent just under two years as a student assistant for the Central Michigan University Athletic Department, where he aided department staff in several aspects including statistical upkeep, updating of game notes and writing feature stories on athletes from the men's and women's basketball teams.
Meyer earned a Bachelor's Degree in Sports Management with an Online Journalism minor from Central Michigan University in 2014, and later added a Masters Degree in Communications from Grand Valley State University in 2017.
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Isaac Niedrauer
@INiedrauer
Isaac Niedrauer
@INiedrauer
