Pacific has hired a new sports information director this year to manage the media in the athletic department. A sports information director oversees the athletics website, any publications that have to do with athletics, writing game stories, keeping records, and countless other media components.
This year’s sports information director Russ Blunck is no stranger to the university and campus. Blunck graduated from Pacific in 1982 as a communications major. While at Pacific he participated in both football and baseball where he also worked as a student sports information director.
“It was kind of crazy, I’d play in a football game, get showered, then rush off and write about that game that I just played in,” said Blunck. “Being a sports information director has completely changed now, it’s very technology driven. Back then it was a lot more printed materials and phone calls. Now it’s way different,” Blunck explained.
Blunck worked as an associate athletic director at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego for four years before coming back to Oregon. Then he worked as an associate athletic director and sports information director at Western Oregon University for twelve years.
”It’s really surreal being back here,” explained Blunck. “When I had the chance to come back to Pacific I really jumped at that opportunity. It was like I was coming back home,” said Blunck.
The campus has seen a lot of change in the past 33 years since Blunck graduated. Blunck’s father Bear Blunck also graduated from Pacific in the 60s, so Blunck was a part of Pacific at a young age.
“This place has really changed for the better in about 100 different ways.
It’s really grown a lot, especially in the athletic department. It’s fun to be a part of something and contribute to something like that,” said Blunck.
Blunk returned to work with an assistant. Blunck said he is excited about the upcoming years to come, and it looks like the athletic department will be in good hands.
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