GRANVILLE, Ohio – Denison University is pleased to announce the appointment of Aaron Thompson as its next Director of Athletic Communications. Thompson brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success at the NCAA Division III level.
"I would like to thank Nan Carney-DeBord, Sara Lee and the entire search committee for the opportunity to lead the Athletic Communications office at Denison University," Thompson said. "I look forward to working with high-achieving student-athletes and an accomplished athletics staff. I'm excited to help tell the story and promote the many successes of the Big Red."
Thompson has spent the past five and a half years at Washington & Jefferson College, where he served as Sports Information Director since January 2019. His exemplary work earned him the prestigious Jack Rea Athletics Staff Member of the Year in 2021-22, which is awarded annually to a top athletics staff member at W&J.
His responsibilities included providing comprehensive coverage and publicity for W&J's 26 NCAA Division III varsity athletic programs. He managed the athletics website GoPresidents.com, coordinated all video streaming efforts, oversaw social media channels, and handled gameday operations at home events.
During his time at W&J, Thompson promoted 20 Presidents' Athletic Conference team championships, 123 CoSIDA/CSC Academic All-District selections, 23 CoSIDA/CSC Academic All-Americans, and more than 40 Athletic All-Americans. Notably, he and former intern assistant Josh Smith provided extensive coverage of the W&J baseball team's journey to the 2019 NCAA Division III College World Series.
Thompson's tenure at W&J saw several firsts, including its first NCAA Elite 90 Award winner, which came at the 2019 NCAA Division III Baseball Championships. In June 2023, W&J saw its first student-athlete selected as the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America Team Member of the Year, as Tyler Horvat earned the honor in the sport of baseball. In the fall of 2023, Cassie Carr became the college's second Elite 90 award winner and the first female athlete to receive the honor.
Thompson is an active member of the College Sports Communicators and serves on the Review Committee for the CSC Academic All-America awards program, overseeing Men's Basketball and Softball at the Division III and NAIA levels. He also contributed to W&J's Athletics Hall of Fame Committee.
Before his role at W&J, Thompson served as the assistant sports information director at Saint Vincent College from August 2014 to December 2018. His highlights at Saint Vincent included coverage of NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Tournament appearances in 2015 and 2016, and the softball program's first-ever conference championship and NCAA Division III Softball Tournament appearance in 2016. In 2018, he gained national coverage for Maggie Nelson's record-breaking women's lacrosse season, which was featured in Sports Illustrated's Faces In The Crowd.
Thompson also served as the media coordinator for the 2018 NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball National Championship.
Thompson earned his bachelor's degree in communication from Waynesburg University in 2012 and his Master of Business Administration in applied business in 2014. He worked for two years at Waynesburg as its Graduate Assistant for Sports Information.
"It is evident that Aaron is passionate about the profession and in achieving excellence. He has articulated a strong vision for the future of the industry and how he will advance Denison University Athletics. He is keenly aware of the challenges in striving for excellence and demonstrates enthusiasm in joining our outstanding department team and uplifting our students and student-athletes. We would like to welcome Aaron to the Denison community." Said Nan Carney-DeBord.
Denison University is excited to welcome Aaron Thompson to the Big Red family, confident that his expertise and dedication will significantly enhance the visibility and success of Denison's athletic programs.
