Alumni Profiles

Hometown: Columbus, Ohio

Current position:
Director of Compliance, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Tell us about the responsibilities involved in your current position.
I am currently responsible for all aspects of NCAA compliance, which include student-athlete eligibility, financial aid, playing and practice seasons, waivers, and rules interpretation.

What is your favorite part of the position?
My favorite part of the position is helping the coaches and student-athletes. Many times, compliance officers are looked at as enforcers, which is just one aspect of the job. When I am able to help the coaches or student-athletes solve an issue, it allows them to see that I am not just here to enforce rules, but that I can help them as well.

Given your current career path, where do you see yourself in ten years?
Although I love athletic compliance, I would like to branch out in the next ten years. I have always wanted to work in professional sports, and I am making plans for that transition.

Have you observed any changing or developing trends currently occurring in your field-what do you see as the future of the field in which you work?
NCAA compliance is an ever-evolving field. As legislation grows, so do the responsibilities of the compliance office. I think the rapid growth in technology, such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, have increased the types of legislation and monitoring for which compliance officers are now responsible.

How did your education at Mississippi State help prepare you for working in your field?
Everything that my professors told me about athletics administration has come true in some aspect. They definitely provided us with the tools and information that we would need in order to be prepared to work in this field.

Would you make any recommendations to recent graduates currently looking for internships or other positions in the field?
I would definitely recommend that everyone work an internship in their desired field at some time during their graduate work. Having this type of experience is almost a requirement if you want to secure employment in any athletics field. Aside from my education, my internship experience was the most important aspect of preparing me for what I face on a day-to-day basis.

• Marquita Turner's Bio

Hometown: Starkville, Mississippi

Current position:
VP of Ticket Sales and Service, Nashville Predators

Tell us about the responsibilities involved in your current position.
Manage a staff of two Directors and one Manager as well as a 25 person sales, service, and ticket operations staff.

• Responsible for the development and production of all ticket sales
• Responsible for the development of all sales and service staff
• Responsible for development an implementation of marketing campaigns related to ticket sales for the Nashville Predators
• Develop procedures for outbound ticket sales efforts that addresses the following:
  1. Sales and service practices
  2. Prospecting
  3. Lead generation
  4. Data capture and database management
• Develop strategies, procedures, and goals to increase new season ticket sales, group ticket sales and single game ticket sales

What is your favorite part of the position?
Working with young sales people and being creative in selling NHL hockey in the South.

Given your current career path, where do you see yourself in ten years?
Head of Business Operations for a Major League franchise.

Have you observed any changing or developing trends currently occurring in your field-what do you see as the future of the field in which you work?
The secondary ticketing market is becoming more relevant and social media outlets are the new avenue for marketing your product.

How did your education at Mississippi State help prepare you for working in your field?
It helped me become more disciplined while still being creative in the work force.

Would you make any recommendations to recent graduates currently looking for internships or other positions in the field?
No job is too small, and if you want to be successful you have to be willing to make sacrifices along the way.

Hometown: Danville, California (originally from Edinburgh, Scotland)

Current position:
Head Coach of the Varsity Women's Soccer Team
The University of California, Berkeley

Tell us about the responsibilities involved in your current position.
As the head coach I oversee a staff of six full time employees, with 2 full time assistant coaches and 4 other support staff in the areas of academics, strength and conditioning, athletic training, and equipment. Our yearly cycle deals with on field training either as a team or individually, recruiting, scouting of opponents, involvement in the Regional Olympic Development programs as well as an entire summer of youth camps. It is my responsibility to maintain the budget as it pertains to scholarships, general administration, and recruiting as well as operations. I am also asked to do a great deal of public speaking either regarding our University or about the recruiting process in general.

What is your favorite part of being a head coach?
The 20 regular season games and NCAA postseason as well as seeing our student-athletes be successful in any area of their collegiate experience, either athletically or academically.

Given your current career path, where do you see yourself in ten years?
I hope to either remain at the University of California as the Head Coach or work in the world of athletic administration as an athletic director of a major Division-I school.

Have you observed any changing or developing trends currently occurring in your field-what do you see as the future of the field in which you work?
The recruiting process is happening earlier than it did 5 years ago, which is placing undue stress on prospective student-athletes and their families. These young ladies are being asked to determine their path in life as early juniors as opposed to late seniors, and it is not what is best for the sport, nor these young ladies. Due to the early nature of the commitments there has been an increase in transfers from institutions, which is a trend we need to end as soon as possible. The future of women's soccer is very bright with attendances up at the NCAA level, significantly increased youth participation by the millions, and strong interest in the professional women's league.

How did your education at Mississippi State help prepare you for working in your field?
My time at Mississippi State as both coach and student was very beneficial. I first learned the value of hard work in that it is not easy to compete with schools like Tennessee, Georgia and Florida in the recruiting and coaching world. I also learned the value of good people as I found the people of Mississippi to be some of the kindest and most family oriented people I have ever been around. The education itself prepared me to deal with life as a coach due to the indepth understanding it gave me in administration as it relates to sports.

Would you make any recommendations to recent graduates currently looking for internships or other positions in the field?
In choosing a profession it is important you love what you do and make a hobby out of your work. There will always be tough days, but if you love what you do, you will resolve any and all issues and get back to what brings you joy.

• Neil McGuire's bio on the California Athletics website

Hometown: Gulf Shores, Alabama

Current position:
Director, University of Georgia Athletic Hospitality (Athens, GA)
The Colonnade Group (headquartered in Birmingham, AL)

Tell us about the responsibilities involved in your current position.
I manage the premium seating for the University of Georgia Athletic Department, which includes 78 football skyboxes and two club areas, men's & women's basketball courtside club, and the Gym Dawgs hospitality room. The responsibilities of this position include such duties as organizing the catering, security, cleaning, all communication with the premium seat holders, student ambassadors, and event operations/gameday management.

What is your favorite aspect of your current position?
Working in the college athletic setting, while not having to do the same things everyday.

Given your current career path, where do you see yourself in ten years?
Hopefully, I will still be with the Colonnade Group overseeing the management of several university premium seat management programs.

Have you observed any changing or developing trends currently occurring in your field? What do you see as the future of the field in which you work?
The biggest trend that I have seen in the college athletic industry is the increase of outsourcing both weekday and gameday responsibilities and duties. What used to be done all "in house" is now being contracted out to smaller organizations that are more efficient and often less costly.

How did your education at Mississippi State help prepare you for working in your field?
MSU gave me the opportunity not only to learn in the traditional classroom setting, but also in a practical, hands-on manner within the athletic department. I was encouraged to do multiple internships to help me find out which areas of the college athletic industry I am truly passionate about.

Would you make any recommendations to recent graduates currently looking for internships or other positions in the field?
Use your resources! Use your professors, professional contacts, classmates, etc. to help you get to where you want to be. These people want to see you succeed.

Hometown: Jackson, Mississippi

Current position:
Assistant Sports Information Director - Samford University (Birmingham, AL)

Tell us about the responsibilities involved in your current position.
I am the primary contact for volleyball, softball, cross country, and track and field. My responsibilities include coordinating statistics on each game day for volleyball and softball, writing press releases and game recaps for all four sports, updating information on the Samford Athletics website, as well as writing all content and helping to design media guides for each of my sports. I also assist in the media relations aspects of football and basketball game days (making sure all media members have the appropriate information to do their jobs to the best of their abilities). I also serve as part of the stat crew for basketball, as I call out each play to someone who inputs it into a computer stats program.

What is your favorite aspect of your current position?
Game days. Although most game days can be extremely high pressure situations, I love that I get to see every play that happens. In other words, I rarely miss an exciting moment. I also love interacting with the student-athletes, building relationships with them, and being someone that they can come to in the highs and lows of life.

Have you observed any changing or developing trends currently occurring in your field? What do you see as the future of the field in which you work?
We all joke about how much of our job could be done from home. And I'm sure this is a trend that is occurring in many industries. The internet is the livelihood of our business and when someone is just a phone call or an email away, you could eventually see the convenience of working from home and just showing up for game days. I don't know that I see that as the future for the sports information industry, but I do see trends popping up of "cyber-izing" a lot of things, especially in dire economic times. Many institutions are starting to put media guides online and on CDs instead of spending the money to publish them as hard copies.

How did your education at Mississippi State help prepare you for working in your field?
Being a broadcasting major as an undergrad, I am now more able to see what the media are looking for in the realm of interesting stories and information. With my graduate degree, I learned more of the "big picture" of the athletic department and how each branch works together to be more effective. I now can (most of the time) anticipate what my administrators want from me and be more prepared when asked to do things.

Would you make any recommendations to recent graduates currently looking for internships or other positions in the field?
Start looking early and often. I would consider working/interning in several different aspects of the sports industry before you decide on one thing. For example, I was a student worker at MSU for two years and was able to volunteer at various SEC events. Then, I got an internship at a much smaller Division I school and now see the differences between the ways in which bigger and smaller schools work with the resources they have. Go for things that will bring out your natural abilities whether they be writing, speaking, videography and photography, or just smooth talking. And never, EVER, settle. You have to enjoy what you do or you will not be successful. My motto is, "the day you start to dread going to work is the day you need to find something else to do."

• Katie Walden's bio

John Gwin
B.A. in Sport Communication, 2006