That's a good hire but its pretty typical for a G5 school to reach into a P5's middle management..

"Associate Communication Services Director with primary responsibilities for Wildcat football."

(07-21-2015 08:54 AM)Steve1981 Wrote:  UMass continues upgrading the Athletic Department with P-5 experience.

Molly O'Mara Named Associate AD For Communications & Public Relations
After successful tenure at Arizona, O'Mara will oversee all phases of external communications and serve as the primary football contact.

Quote:July 20, 2015
AMHERST, Mass. - Molly O'Mara has been named to the newly-created position of Associate Director of Athletics for Communications and Public Relations, according to University of Massachusetts Director of Athletics Ryan Bamford.

O'Mara will oversee all areas of athletics communications, including department messaging, media relations, internet strategies, social media, graphic design and video production. She will also serve as the primary media relations contact for the Minutemen football program.

A 2004 graduate of the University, O'Mara comes to Amherst after spending the previous five seasons at the University of Arizona, including the last three as Associate Communication Services Director with primary responsibilities for Wildcat football. She previously worked at the University of Arkansas and Texas Tech.

She will begin her new duties at UMass on August 3.

"I am excited to welcome home a Commonwealth native and a distinguished graduate of our remarkable University," Bamford said. "Molly is an outstanding communicator with an unbridled passion for her alma mater. Her experiences at programs in the Big XII, SEC and Pac-12 conferences will elevate our athletic communications and enhance our senior leadership team as we continue to grow as an NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) program."

Spanning her career, O'Mara coordinated media efforts prior to and on-site for eight college football bowl games (Holiday Bowl, Cotton Bowl twice, Capital Bowl, Liberty Bowl, New Mexico Bowl, Independence Bowl and Fiesta Bowl) and served as on-campus media coordinator for six NCAA Championships, two SEC Championships and one Pac-12 Championship.

"Words can't express how grateful I am to Chancellor Subbaswamy, Ryan Bamford and Tom McElroy for this opportunity," O'Mara said. "I'm a proud UMass graduate and the chance to work at my alma mater is one I have always worked towards. I'm excited for the future of UMass Athletics under Ryan's leadership and I look forward to working with the staff to elevate UMass Athletics to new heights. As the Commonwealth's Flagship University, we will strive to be at the forefront of traditional, digital and social communications while building strong relationships, locally and nationally."

O'Mara graduated from the Isenberg School of Management Mark H. McCormack Department of Sport Management in May, 2004. During her time on campus, she worked in the athletics media relations department for two years assisting with all facets of day-to-day operations. In 2003-04, she served as the primary contact for men's and women's cross country and track and field.

"On behalf of the Isenberg School and the McCormack Department of Sport Management, I am pleased to welcome our alumnus Molly O'Mara back to campus," Isenberg Associate Dean for Administration Lisa Masteralexis said. "We are thrilled that Molly has chosen to bring her passion for athletics and skills she has honed through her career back 'home' to UMass. We are proud of all that she has accomplished. It's always special to welcome back an alum, like Molly. She will instantly become a role model for our students interested in college athletics administration."

http://www.umassathletics.com/genrel/072015aaa.html