Ryan Cullinane
Résumé
Award-winning sports information director with nearly six years across three SEC programs — elevating every team I represent through media access, storytelling, and audience growth, while constantly evolving with the platforms and trends that shape how fans follow their teams.
rycully@gmail.com · LinkedIn · X · Columbia, Mo.
Experience
Assistant Director of Strategic Communications
Mizzou Athletics · Columbia, Mo. · July 2024 – Present
- Primary media contact for women’s gymnastics, track & field/cross country and women’s soccer.
- Earned College Gym News SID of the Year honors for 2026 for elevating Mizzou gymnastics into one of the most media-friendly programs in the country.
- Led communications for the 2025 NCAA gymnastics season — the program’s first NCAA Championship Final berth, first individual national champion, and best finish by a Mizzou women’s sport.
- Primary media contact for the nationally televised 2025 NCAA Cross Country Championship, and for gymnastics meets on ABC, ESPN2, ESPNU and SEC Network.
- Administer @MizzouAthletics social accounts across Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok; launched Mizzou Athletics’ and Mizzou Soccer’s TikTok accounts.
Sports Communications Graduate Assistant
University of Georgia Athletic Association · Athens, Ga. · August 2022 – June 2024
- Primary contact for men’s tennis (2022–24), overseeing media during the 2023 SEC regular-season title run and NCAA quarterfinal run, and for men’s golf (2023–24) through a season highlighted by multiple SEC weekly awards.
- Worked events across football, volleyball, track & field, swim & dive, basketball, gymnastics, tennis, golf, softball and soccer.
- Created media guides, match notes and original social content for men’s tennis, golf and multiple other sports.
- Supported Georgia football media operations, including press conferences, player/coach escorts and postgame availability.
Communication & Public Relations Student Assistant
University of Kentucky Athletics · Lexington, Ky. · April 2021 – July 2022
- Primary contact for men’s tennis during the 2022 season, when the team finished as NCAA Championship runner-up for the first time in program history — helping produce All-SEC selections, two ITA All-Americans and an SEC Player of the Week.
- Worked events for men’s and women’s basketball and soccer, volleyball, football and gymnastics.
- Assisted in running NCAA Tournament events hosted on campus for men’s soccer and volleyball.
Communications Intern
Nashville Predators (NHL) · Nashville, Tenn. · May 2021 – August 2021
- Handled game-night media responsibilities for three 2021 Stanley Cup Playoff games at Bridgestone Arena.
- Maintained the team’s statistical database and edited NashvillePredators.com and BridgestoneArena.com; contributed to the 2021–22 team media guide.
Education
M.S., Sport Management & Policy
University of Georgia, 2024
B.A., Communication
University of Kentucky, 2022 — minors in Coaching & Journalism
Skills & Tools
WMT · SideArm Sports · Genius Sports · Virtius · Adobe InDesign, Photoshop & Lightroom · Meta Business Suite · CapCut · WSC Sports · social media growth · analytics-driven social strategy · AI utilization
Social growth
Instagram follower growth across accounts I’ve managed:
+92.1% UGA Men’s Tennis · +82.7% Mizzou Track & Field · +56.7% UK Men’s Tennis · +42.8% Mizzou Soccer · +39.4% Mizzou Gymnastics · +30.3% UGA Golf · +26.2% Mizzou Athletics