Nov. 2, 2007

Siena athletic director John D'Argenio announced the promotion of Jason Rich to assistant athletic director for communications effective immediately. Rich will continue to oversee the sports information operation and the department's external communications program.

Rich has served as sports information director since October of 1999 when he was promoted from assistant director of sports information and marketing. He began working at Siena in August of 1998 - three months after he graduated from the College with a bachelor's degree in finance.

"As the modes of communications and the methods of how people communicate have changed significantly so has the role of sports information professionals," director of athletics John D'Argenio said. "We have worked hard at vertically integrating our communications and marketing efforts and this title better reflects the overall involvement our sports information office has in our external relationships."

Rich will continue to oversee the publicity and promotional efforts for the athletic department's 18 Division sports and 330 student-athletes.

The athletic communications office also helps coordinate community appearances, oversees event operations, maintains the department website (SienaSaints.com) and serves as the liaison with the media.

Recently, Rich has taken on additional administrative responsibilities as a member of the department's marketing team and as the administrator on duty at select events.

In 2003, Rich was the co-media coordinator for the NCAA men's basketball Albany Regional. He has regularly volunteered his services for the NCAA men's and women's basketball championships, including the First and Second Rounds in Buffalo this past season. Two years ago, he was a volunteer in the press room at the men's basketball Washington, D.C. Regional and served as press room moderator for the NCAA women's basketball First and Second Round in Trenton, N.J.

An active member of both CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) and ECAC-SIDA (Eastern College Athletic Conference Sports Information Directors of America), Rich is currently serving on the 2008 ECAC-SIDA Workshop Organizing Committee for the workshop that will be held in Saratoga Springs June 10-13, 2008. He previously served on the committee in 2001 and was a member of the CoSIDA Ethics Committee from 2003-2005. Rich hosted a table topic on baseball statistics at the CoSIDA Convention in San Diego this past July.

Rich has served on several committees organized by the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and currently is on women's lacrosse sports committee. He is also on the MAAC 2008 Citizens Bank Basketball Tournament planning committee.

Rich oversees a staff that consists of a full-time assistant and a part-time intern.