Matthew Vines, Northwestern State Assistant Sports Information Director
NATCHITOCHES — The Northwestern State athletics media relations department has a new leader as Jason Pugh was promoted to the position, announced athletics director Greg Burke on Wednesday.
Pugh will take over the assistant athletics director for media relations slot after working under long-time director Doug Ireland, who finished his 30-year tenure as the Demons and Lady Demons top promoter.
Matt Vines will assume Pugh’s former position as the assistant sports information director.
Both promotions are subject to approval by the Board of Supervisors of the University of Louisiana System, which governs Northwestern State.
“Jason and Matt are both perfect fits to sustain the continuity of NSU’s media relations office that was a staple of the NSU athletic program under Doug Ireland’s leadership for so many years,” Burke said. “They will give our department’s outreach efforts a good combination of what has been in place while at the same time, broadening the scope of what we do in the media relations area to further expand the profile of Demon and Lady Demon athletics.
“Jason and Matt are well-liked and respected by coaches and staff members alike, which will further make for a smooth transition in the media relations office. The fact that both also have the unique perspective of having covered NSU Athletics as sportswriters has further strengthened their affinity and passion for our program.”
Pugh has spent five years at NSU as the assistant sports information director and has been the primary sports information contact for baseball, women’s basketball and volleyball and the secondary football contact since his arrival as well as publications coordinator in charge of the department’s various media guides.
The Bossier City native spent 12 years covering high school, college and professional sports at The Shreveport Times before joining the NSU sports information department in 2014. Pugh has won ample awards in journalism and in media relations, including helping promote two baseball All-Americans in Adam Oller and David Fry.
Vines joined NSU athletics in 2015 as a graduate assistant before serving as the assistant communications director in 2016.
The Shreveport native has been the primary contact for soccer and softball while assisting with the department’s publications and social media.
Vines covered high school and college sports for three different newspapers in seven years, the last being The Shreveport Times, winning multiple writing awards in Tennessee and Louisiana.
“I’m thrilled to see Jason and Matt receiving well-deserved promotions,” Ireland said. “They are incredibly skilled professionals who bring great passion to Northwestern State athletics and I’ve been honored to work alongside them. They are greatly admired and appreciated by the coaches and student-athletes with whom they’ve worked at NSU, as well as their peers in our profession around the state and Southland Conference.”
