Paul Smith joined the Arkansas Tech University Athletics Department as sports information director on Monday, Aug. 20.
Smith has previously served as sports information director at the University of Arkansas-Monticello, Delta State University and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.
His most recent assignment in the field was as assistant sports information director at NCAA Division I member Oakland University (Mich.) from 2007-09.
Smith has spent the last three years as a financial advisor for Raymond James and Associates in Grand Blanc, Mich., but he has remained active in sports information as a member of the statistics crew at Oakland and as a media facilitator/statistics crew member for the Little Caesar’s Pizza Bowl.
“I am very excited to return to the field of sports information and to the state of Arkansas as SID at Arkansas Tech University,” said Smith. “This is a dream job for me. I am looking forward to developing working relationships with our coaching staff and student-athletes, the members of the media that cover Arkansas Tech Athletics and Tech fans. Arkansas Tech is a great institution with a great athletics department and I am excited to be a part of it.”
A 2003 graduate of UA-Monticello, Smith served as a student assistant in the UAM sports information office while working on his Bachelor of Arts degree in speech with an emphasis in communications and a minor in sports administration.
In addition to his SID work at four universities, Smith has also served on the media relations staff at seven college football bowl games, the 2008 PGA Championship, a men’s basketball NCAA Tournament regional in 2008 and the 2009 NCAA Men’s Final Four.
“We are proud to welcome Paul to the Tech family,” said Steve Mullins, director of athletics at Arkansas Tech. “He possesses the abilities, experience and enthusiasm necessary to succeed as sports information director at our university.”
Smith’s community involvement while living in Michigan the past five years included serving as an advisory board member for the Grand Blanc Community Fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint, as vice president on The Valley School Board of Trustees and as a member of the Genesee Valley Rotary Club.
As sports information director at Arkansas Tech, Smith will oversee media relations efforts for the Tech Athletics Department and its 10 NCAA Division II sports while maintaining the Wonder Boys’ and Golden Suns’ record books. He will also provide content for the department Web site at http://athletics.atu.edu/ and manage the social media presence of Tech Athletics.
Smith and his wife, Stacy, have one daughter, Audrey. They are expecting their second child in December.
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