Parkinson Named Associate AD for Communications

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – University of Arkansas graduate Kyle Parkinson has been named Associate Athletics Director for Communications it was announced by Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Hunter Yurachek on Tuesday. Parkinson will lead a communications department which services 19 sports programs. He will also be a member of the department’s senior staff and serve as the primary communications contact for football.

Parkinson has served the past seven plus years at Vanderbilt University, including the past year and a half as the Assistant Athletics Director for Communications. In that role, Parkinson led the Vanderbilt Athletic Communications office and served as the primary communications contact for the Commodores’ football program.

“We are pleased to welcome Kyle back home to Arkansas to serve in a leadership role within in our department and oversee the day-to-day operations of our communications department,” Yurachek said. “His experiences in the SEC and within professional sports has helped him develop a strategic communications approach that embraces the important role of traditional media outlets while maximizing opportunities provided through digital and social media platforms. Kyle has forged numerous relationships with media members throughout the nation and he understands the passion Razorback fans have for our program.”

Parkinson is an Arkansas native who got his start in athletics working as the director of baseball operations and public relations with the Memphis Redbirds. While with the Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals, Parkinson produced printed materials, handled the team’s social media accounts and oversaw several staff members. In addition to his public relations duties, he coordinated all team operations and travel while managing the budget.

Parkinson moved to Nashville, taking a job as an assistant director of athletics communications at Vanderbilt in October of 2010. As the assistant director, he led all media and branding efforts for the Commodores’ nationally-ranked baseball team. While working with baseball, Parkinson assisted the team through three trips to the College World Series including the 2014 NCAA title.

Parkinson was promoted to assistant athletics director for communications in September of 2016 and held that position until joining the Razorbacks. In his role as the director, Parkinson worked directly with the Commodores’ football program while overseeing the entire communications office efforts.

Parkinson and his wife, Devyn, are both Arkansas alums, and the couple have three children, Ava, Elly and Wiley. He graduated with a degree in broadcast journalism in December 2004, from Arkansas.