KENNY MOSSMAN: SPORTS PR

Kenny Mossman is the voice behind all the voices of the OU Athletics Department. He is the current SID (Sports Information Director) for the University of Oklahoma.

At OU, he supervises all media relations for the sports programs, publications, the department website, graphic design, licensing and Sooner Vision, Sooner Tradition media.

In media relations, with his main responsibility pertaining to the football program, he and is staff focus on promoting and supporting OU’s student athletes in winning national awards and recognition. For examples, one could look at the Jim Thorpe award winners, Heisman Winners, The Butkus Award, and a large number of All-American athletes. The OU Football Tradition remains strong, due to these awards that are responsible for attracting some of the top student athletes across the nation.

Mossman has a string of accomplishments, including being a staff member for four NCAA football bowl games. He was on the media staff for nine men’s basketball regionals, two Men’s Final Fours, and the coordinator for four NCAA women’s basketball regionals.

He has received many award for his role as the SID, from his peers. The College Sports Information Directors of America, have given him awards on several of the publications, he and his staff have produced. For the years 2001-2007, he won consecutive awards for his “Sooner” bowl guides, which were judged the best in the nation.

OU’s SID is constantly adjusting to new technologies in the sports public relations industry. When asked about what were the biggest changes he has experienced in his field, Mossman stated, “It would have to be that we no longer have to rely on others to get our message out, and don’t have to be concerned if it would be communicated in a positive light. We still keep a close relationship with the media, but with Twitter, Facebook, our TV network and the internet, we are able to control our messages without the filtering, like never before.”

He explained that on the “downside,” the program’s student athletes also had equal access to close communication with the publics, that his staff had little control of. He feels that all organizations will deal with these issues on a daily basis.

Mossman had this advice for any future PR practitioner, “I would encourage them to have almost a ‘nerdish’ approach to emerging technology and social platforms, they need to be the person in the department or organization who understands that stuff more than anybody else, pay attention to the trade journals, watch those who have it figured it out. Management is more interested in people who do things better, different, edgier than other people are. Basically, stay technology savvy on the social network platforms."

The Personal Side of Public Relations

The Personal Side of Public Relations

By Lacy Barnes

“Just keep trucking.”

This simple, yet direct and to the point statement was the best advice Cassie Gage had for graduating seniors wanting to pursue public relations careers. In the whirlwind that is my last semester college, it is comforting to hear something so easy. With graduation growing near, my final classes lingering over my head and multiple people asking what I plan to do with my life come May, simple advice is refreshing to say the least.

Gage is an Assistant Director of Communications at The University of Oklahoma where she works in OU’s athletic department in media relations. As the media contact for both volleyball and softball programs at OU, Gage is never in one place for long. Having my own career aspirations of working in athletics, getting the chance to sit down and talk with Gage was both encouraging and helpful.

Working in big-time Division I athletics, Gage has gained public relations experience unique to most other work environments. Cassie travels full-time with the softball team and part time with the volleyball team in order to cover their games and regulate media coverage. This type of public relations on the fly has taught Gage how to be efficient, thick-skinned and accepting of change.

The biggest changes during her career in public relations have been personal, in order to adapt to her environment.

“What surprised me the most about public relations was how much I had to change to survive,” Gage said. “Five years ago, people could run over me and make fun of me and I would just take it. I’ve had to learn how to step up, speak my mind and be confident in myself and my work.”

Growing up in a family surrounded by athletics, Gage said she always knew she wanted to work in sports.

“As a senior in high school I received the opportunity to write for a high school Web site network called iHigh.com which led to a position as a sports correspondent in the local paper,” Gage said. “From there I was offered a sports information scholarship to East Mississippi Community College and the rest they say is history.” Gage went on to earn her Bachelor of Art in Communication with an emphasis in public relations from Mississippi State University.

After being in the profession full-time for four years now, two at OU and two as the Assistant Director of Athletic Media Relations at Mississippi State, Gage says the majority of her job involves writing.

According to Gage, “The top skills students who want to pursue public relations need are writing to get the job along with desire and passion to keep you there. It’s important to know your audiences as well because I need to write for an audience that’s critical of what I’m saying about my team.”

Gage also touched on the importance of timeliness in her career, “It’s really important to make deadlines in public relations. We live in a world where everyone wants information as soon as it happens.”

With all the technical advice that could be given about finding and starting a career in public relations, Gage finds it’s the simple life-lessons that are most useful when trying to succeed in a profession.

“If you want it, go for it and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t. When people knock you down, and they will, dust yourself off and keep going. And when you do fail, which you will, learn from it and make yourself better. I’ve always been a believer in remembering where you come from. There’s a difference between being arrogant and being confident and distinguishing that can be the difference in getting what you want or having everyone hate you.”

Picture of Cassie Gage is courtesy of the University of Oklahoma Athletic Department