Senior Director - Communications

The ideal candidate brings a deep rolodex of national basketball, sports business, and lifestyle media contacts, along with a proven ability to proactively generate meaningful coverage. This individual is an aggressive storyteller—someone who can identify compelling narratives – on and off-the-court- pitch them effectively, and consistently secure high-impact placements across top-tier outlets.

We are looking for an outgoing, creative self-starter who understands how to break through in today’s competitive media landscape and elevate the visibility of the Big 12 and its student-athletes in the sports, consumer and corporate worlds.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

•       Serve as the primary contact for Big 12 Men’s Basketball and select Olympic sports, driving a year-round media strategy that elevates the conference’s brand and storytelling.

•       Proactively pitch, place, and secure coverage across national, regional, and industry media, with a focus on sports, business, and lifestyle outlets.

•       Build, maintain, and leverage strong relationships with a wide network of media, including key national basketball reporters and influential voices.

•       Identify and develop compelling storylines that position the Big 12 at the forefront of the college basketball conversation.

•       Own all external communications for assigned sports, including press releases, game notes, feature content, and awards.

•       Coordinate the production of online record books, media notes, NCAA selection committee notes, news releases, statistics compilations and feature content.

•       Coordinate preseason and postseason All-Big 12 polls and teams, weekly awards and specialty awards.

•       Lead media operations and coverage strategy for key events, including Basketball Media Days and the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Tournament.

•       Collaborate with broadcast, content, and social teams to amplify storytelling and maximize exposure across platforms.

•       Support and execute high-impact media moments tied to conference initiatives, milestones, and tentpole events.

•       Supervise/manage one full-time employee

•       Travel as needed; evening, weekend, and holiday work required.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:

•       7+ years of experience in sports communications, media relations, or a related field at the collegiate or professional level. NBA experience preferred.

•       Established, extensive network of national basketball, sports business, and lifestyle media contacts.

•       Proven track record of proactively securing top-tier media coverage and driving narrative.

•       Exceptional storytelling instincts with the ability to translate complex or evolving topics into compelling, media-friendly narratives.

•       Strong writing, pitching, and interpersonal communication skills.

•       Deep understanding of the modern media landscape, including how traditional, digital, and social platforms intersect.

•       Brings a positive, high-energy approach with a genuine enthusiasm for college athletics and storytelling.

•       Naturally outgoing and relationship-driven, with the ability to build trust and credibility quickly with media and stakeholders.

•       Maintains a solutions-oriented mindset, thriving in fast-paced environments with a willingness to adapt and take initiative.

•       Strong organizational and project management skills; ability to operate in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple priorities.

•       Proficiency in NCAA Genius Live Stats and StatCrew OR a similar statistical software utilized at the professional level. 

•       Deep knowledge of college basketball and the broader collegiate athletics landscape.