College Sports Information Directors of America

See article online by Scott Kindberg, Jamestown Post-Journal l Oct. 2, 2013

main photo courtesy of Jamestown Post-Journal

It's early one morning in late March. The media room at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia - site of the NCAA men's basketball tournament South Regional - is nearly empty, save for a man and a woman sitting together at a table. Patrick Pierson, the assistant athletics director for communications at Florida Gulf Coast University, walks in, sizes up the situation and does a little mental volleyball - "Do I pick one of the 20 empty tables to sit at or do I ask the two media types if I can join them?"

The answer to him is a no-brainer.

As he settles in his chair, Pierson hears Dana O'Neil, a basketball columnist for ESPN.com, say to Pete Thamel of Sports Illustrated: "I can't wait to learn about the Florida Gulf Coast team. They're so interesting."

Frewsburg native Patrick Pierson has taken a liking to his new job as the associate media relations director at the University of Arkansas. So much so, in fact, that he has been making a fashion statement once a week, calling it, ‘‘Bow Tie Tuesday.’’

Photo courtesy of Patrick Pierson!

Seizing the opportunity, Pierson looks at O'Neil, smiles and says: "I think I'm your guy."

Fast forward six months.

Now the associate media relations director at the University of Arkansas, Pierson sits in his new office in Fayetteville last week and regales a caller with his memories of that early-morning March Madness moment.

"It was awesome," he admits.

That adjective could be applied to Pierson's career since the day he graduated from Frewsburg Central School in 2000.

From his days as an undergraduate at Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh, to sports information stints at St. Bonaventure University in Olean, Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers, Fla., to the home of the Razorbacks, Pierson has left an indelible mark every where he's been.

Pierson's successes in athletic communications wouldn't have been possible, he maintains, without the guidance, encouragement and expertise of many people along the way, including Jim Duzyk, the sports information director at Robert Morris; Liz Smith, another Robert Morris grad, who is now the assistant SID at Gonzaga University; and Steve Mest, the former associate athletic director for communications at Bona.

Taking a little bit from each one - "they really molded me into who I am today" - Pierson has advanced pretty quickly in a demanding career.

"I still stay in contact with them more than ever," he said. "Even though I'm 10 years in, those were the ones who reached out to me (when he was hired at Arkansas in June). ... It's cool to think back all these years and they were the first ones to contact me with phone calls or text messages."

Last night I sent a Facebook message to Pierson, inquiring if he was OK with me running the photo that is accompanying this column. I found the image of him wearing a bow tie and sunglasses when I Googled his name.

The inspiration for "Bow Tie Tuesday" came from Pierson's friend who lives in Virginia and works at Salvation Army national headquarters in Alexandria.

"He just kind of started the 'Bow Tie Tuesday' thing a couple months ago and I jumped on board," he said. " ... People have started to pick it up. It's more of a goofy thing, a social media thing. He's taken it and run with it and I'm just having fun with it (on Twitter).

Judging from his experiences since the start of the New Millennium, Pierson is used to having the last laugh.

#BowTieTuesday could use the love," he wrote on his Facebook message to me. "Haha."

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