Pierson Promoted to Assistant AD for Communications

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Patrick Pierson has been promoted to Assistant Athletics Director for Communications it was announced by Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Jeff Long on Wednesday. Pierson 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.
Pierson has served the last two years as an Associate Communications Director working primarily working with men’s basketball and men’s golf. He will continue to work with the Razorback men’s basketball program on an interim basis.

“Since joining our staff, Patrick has demonstrated an ability to develop innovative communication strategies to publicize the outstanding accomplishments of Razorback Athletics,” Long said. “His expertise in social media has helped expand the audience for Razorback men’s basketball, including successfully promoting Bobby Portis for Southeastern Conference Player of the Year. In his new position, Patrick will help shape the future role of our communications department including managing the opportunities to promote our sports programs through traditional and social media, our website and other emerging technologies.“

Pierson joined Razorback Athletics in June of 2013 after stints at Florida Gulf Coast University and St. Bonaventure. Named FGCU’s fourth full-time Director of Sports Information in July 2010, Pierson was elevated to an executive administrative role within the department in the summer of 2012. He was responsible for the publicity and branding of all 15 sports at FGCU, the Eagles’ official website, the department’s social media efforts, Atlantic Sun TV broadcasts and overseeing FGCU’s radio and TV negotiations in addition to serving as the primary contact for men’s basketball, men’s soccer, baseball, men’s golf and men’s tennis. He also added sport administrator duties for baseball and men’s soccer in his time at FGCU.

During FGCU’s run to the Sweet 16 of the 2013 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, the first by a 15-seed in tournament history, Pierson helped catapult Dunk City to a household name and consistent national trending topic by implementing a season-long strategic, pointed messaging strategy made more aggressive by the program’s opportunity on the sport’s biggest stage.

In addition to his success branding the men’s basketball team, he experienced championship-level production from men’s soccer as the sport administrator and communications contact. The men’s soccer program, which spent numerous weeks in the top 25, became the only current Atlantic Sun team to win back-to-back conference championships, taking the crown in 2011 and 2012, the first two years the school was eligible to win the title.

Pierson came to Arkansas with nine years of Division I athletics experience, including six as the head of a media relations staff. Pierson took over the FGCU office following six years at St. Bonaventure University of the Atlantic 10 Conference, including the last three as the Sports Information Director.

At St. Bonaventure, Pierson was responsible for the department’s media and public relations efforts, including the official web site. During the summer of 2008, Pierson coordinated the complete redesign of the department’s web site with CBS College Sports. He also served as the primary publicist for the nationally recognized men’s basketball program and oversaw St. Bonaventure’s other 13 sports, while also serving as the primary contact for women’s soccer, men’s golf, men’s tennis and baseball.

On the St. Bonaventure campus, Pierson served as the Chair of Hall of Fame Selection Committee, was a member of the BonAlumnus Board and spent the fall of 2009 as an adjunct professor in the Russell J. Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Pierson also served a year (2008-09) on the Atlantic 10 Softball Championships Committee.

A native of Frewsburg, N.Y., Pierson graduated from Robert Morris University in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in sport management. During his stay at Robert Morris, Pierson worked in the athletic department’s sports information office for three years and had a one-year stint as a marketing intern. Also, while in Pittsburgh, Pierson served as a promotions intern for the nationally recognized Pittsburgh’s ESPN Radio 1250 AM and as a NFL Experience intern for the Pittsburgh Steelers for two years.

For more information regarding Razorback Athletics, please visit ArkansasRazorbacks.com.