University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Brad Smith Named Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs
12/20/2018 11:21:00 AM | General
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss Athletics announced Thursday the hiring of Brad Smith as Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs.
Smith, who graduated from Southern Miss in 2003, rejoins the University after spending the last four-plus years as Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs at Morehead State. Smith oversaw fundraising, corporate sponsorships, ticket sales as well as the media relations, video production and marketing departments during his time at MSU, while also having sport oversight responsibilities for football, cheerleading and the dance team.
"We are thrilled to have Brad Smith join our team," said interim Director of Athletics, Jeff Mitchell. "Time and again throughout his career, Brad and his colleagues have produced enhanced marketing and promotions initiatives to improve fan experience and game day atmosphere. Brad is a Mississippi native with a passion to serve this community. We are excited to add Brad's creative mind and energetic work ethic to further develop our external relations efforts."
For Smith, this was an opportunity to return to where he got started.
"As a Southern Miss alumnus and native Mississippian, it's always been a dream of mine, since I started in college athletics, to come home," said Smith. "I'd like to thank Dr. Bennett and Jeff Mitchell for making the dream become reality. I'm excited to get started as soon as possible and look forward to meeting our student-athletes, coaches and Golden Eagles everywhere!"
While at MSU, Smith has led several facility enhancements improvements, including Fazoli's Breadstick Beach, new air conditioning in the football and women's soccer locker rooms, baseball scoreboard, basketball court design, fueling station and the naming of R. Thomas Fossett training facility.
Since Smith joined the MSU staff, total revenue through fundraising and corporate sponsorships increased by 220 percent since 2015.
Smith led the new branding campaign and help create a targeted social media campaign that improved its Twitter followers to more than 37,000. He also has created and implemented numerous marketing campaigns, with the latest being the "One Town. One Team" marketing campaign.
Smith has been awarded for his efforts from the National Association of Collegiate Marketing, including the 2014-15 NACMA "Best of" national award winner in the following categories: Gold Winner for best Sales Piece and Silver Winner for best Sponsorship Activation.
Smith, who was previously the assistant athletic director for marketing at UAB, has also served stints at Texas A&M and Middle Tennessee. His efforts produced record-setting attendance at all three institutions. He also coordinated several award-winning promotional events.
Smith directed ticket sales, community relations, licensing, marketing and promotions, video board operations, social media efforts and a partnership with IMG Collegiate Marketing while at UAB from 2011-13, while also serving as the director of marketing at Texas A&M in 2010-11. He and his staff won two NACMA awards for student promotions and ticket sales.
Smith was the assistant athletic director for marketing and promotions at Middle Tennessee from 2005-10. He won four NACMA awards, including best student promotion in 2008.
He began his career as the director of marketing and tickets sales for the Mississippi Sea Wolves hockey team from 2003-05 where he was in charge of management and event operations, sales, client services and fundraising. The Sea Wolves increased their attendance by 22 percent as a result of Smith's new ticket sales plans.
During his first stint at Southern Miss, Smith served a marketing and promotions executive for ISP Sports. Smith will rejoin the Golden Eagles on Jan. 14.
He and his wife, Melanie, have two sons, Grayson and Garrett.
Smith, who graduated from Southern Miss in 2003, rejoins the University after spending the last four-plus years as Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Affairs at Morehead State. Smith oversaw fundraising, corporate sponsorships, ticket sales as well as the media relations, video production and marketing departments during his time at MSU, while also having sport oversight responsibilities for football, cheerleading and the dance team.
"We are thrilled to have Brad Smith join our team," said interim Director of Athletics, Jeff Mitchell. "Time and again throughout his career, Brad and his colleagues have produced enhanced marketing and promotions initiatives to improve fan experience and game day atmosphere. Brad is a Mississippi native with a passion to serve this community. We are excited to add Brad's creative mind and energetic work ethic to further develop our external relations efforts."
For Smith, this was an opportunity to return to where he got started.
"As a Southern Miss alumnus and native Mississippian, it's always been a dream of mine, since I started in college athletics, to come home," said Smith. "I'd like to thank Dr. Bennett and Jeff Mitchell for making the dream become reality. I'm excited to get started as soon as possible and look forward to meeting our student-athletes, coaches and Golden Eagles everywhere!"
While at MSU, Smith has led several facility enhancements improvements, including Fazoli's Breadstick Beach, new air conditioning in the football and women's soccer locker rooms, baseball scoreboard, basketball court design, fueling station and the naming of R. Thomas Fossett training facility.
Since Smith joined the MSU staff, total revenue through fundraising and corporate sponsorships increased by 220 percent since 2015.
Smith led the new branding campaign and help create a targeted social media campaign that improved its Twitter followers to more than 37,000. He also has created and implemented numerous marketing campaigns, with the latest being the "One Town. One Team" marketing campaign.
Smith has been awarded for his efforts from the National Association of Collegiate Marketing, including the 2014-15 NACMA "Best of" national award winner in the following categories: Gold Winner for best Sales Piece and Silver Winner for best Sponsorship Activation.
Smith, who was previously the assistant athletic director for marketing at UAB, has also served stints at Texas A&M and Middle Tennessee. His efforts produced record-setting attendance at all three institutions. He also coordinated several award-winning promotional events.
Smith directed ticket sales, community relations, licensing, marketing and promotions, video board operations, social media efforts and a partnership with IMG Collegiate Marketing while at UAB from 2011-13, while also serving as the director of marketing at Texas A&M in 2010-11. He and his staff won two NACMA awards for student promotions and ticket sales.
Smith was the assistant athletic director for marketing and promotions at Middle Tennessee from 2005-10. He won four NACMA awards, including best student promotion in 2008.
He began his career as the director of marketing and tickets sales for the Mississippi Sea Wolves hockey team from 2003-05 where he was in charge of management and event operations, sales, client services and fundraising. The Sea Wolves increased their attendance by 22 percent as a result of Smith's new ticket sales plans.
During his first stint at Southern Miss, Smith served a marketing and promotions executive for ISP Sports. Smith will rejoin the Golden Eagles on Jan. 14.
He and his wife, Melanie, have two sons, Grayson and Garrett.
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