PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Commissioner Mike Aresco has announced the hiring of Bill Potter, a member of the Horizon League staff since September 2010, as senior director of communications and digital media for the American Athletic Conference. In his role, Potter will serve as the primary communications contact for men’s basketball and rowing and oversee the American Digital Network. The American recently underwent a reorganization and consolidation of its communications and digital media functions. The Conference also announced Taylor Alward and Christina Anderson as communications interns, Kyle Coulter as digital network intern, and Lauren Doby as compliance intern.
“We are pleased to welcome Bill to the American Athletic Conference.” Aresco said. “He was selected from a very strong applicant pool. Bill was instrumental in the development of the Horizon League Digital Network and his expertise and vision will be instrumental in the expansion of our digital efforts across all platforms. He provided key insight for the messaging, communications and branding initiatives at the Horizon League. Bill has also established strong working relationships with the men’s basketball national media which will be of great value to our membership.”
Potter comes to The American following six years at the Horizon League. He joined the league office as director of communications in 2010 before being promoted to assistant commissioner for content, new media and research in 2013. Following one year in that role, Potter was named assistant commissioner for messaging and media.
While at the Horizon League, Potter served on the Conference’s leadership team, managed a three-person staff and had oversight over the Horizon League television, marketing, ticketing and sports information directors committees. He directed the league’s messaging, communications and branding efforts and oversaw the Horizon League Network and web site. During the 2015-16 school year, the Conference delivered more than 600 live events to ESPN3.
Potter led the marketing and promotional efforts for all 19 Horizon League championships. His administration for the 2015 men’s basketball tournament led to a 12-percent attendance growth. Potter also managed the Conference’s primary and championship marks and oversaw the significant growth of its social media channels.
Potter participated in the league’s media rights negotiations with ESPN and other media partners for distribution of Conference content and served as coordinating producer for Horizon League championships and men’s basketball games for ESPN3. He was part of the Conference’s men’s basketball leadership team and assisted with scheduling, strategic planning and officiating and served as sport administrator for women’s soccer and tennis, overseeing those two championships and scheduling.
From 2010-14, he served as the league’s primary men’s basketball contact and was the local media coordinator for the 2015 NCAA Men’s Final Four and the 2013, 2014 NCAA Men’s Basketball Midwest regionals.
Potter is a 2005 graduate of Boston College where he earned a bachelor’s degree in communications and a minor in history. He will begin his duties on August 8.
Alward joins The American staff after spending the 2015-16 school year as the sports information intern at Indiana University Purdue University (IUPUI). While with the Jaguars athletics department, he served as the primary sport contact for volleyball and softball. During this time Alward also earned his master’s degree in sport administration from Ball State University. A 2012 graduate of Carroll University with a bachelor’s of science in communications degree, Alward completed internships in the media relations department for the Orem Owlz (Orem, Utah) baseball team and with television stations in Salt Lake City and Milwaukee. During 2012-13, he was a sports anchor and reporter for a local news station in Idaho Falls, Idaho. Prior to joining the staff at IUPUI, he served as a tournament coordinator for the Indiana Golf Association.
Anderson is a 2015 graduate of Texas Tech University with a bachelor’s degree in electronic media and communications. Following graduation, she joined the media relations staff at Murray State University where she served as the primary contact for women’s soccer, cross country, men’s and women’s tennis and women’s track and field. While a student at Texas Tech, she worked in the Red Raiders’ athletics communications office and served as a secondary contact for both the tennis and volleyball teams.
Coulter graduated from the University of Delaware with a bachelor’s degree in mass communication and minors in journalism and advertising and served as a multimedia assistant for Hens All-Access. In his role, he was responsible for producing video content for the school’s 21 athletic teams and served as lead anchor and producer of Hens Sports Night, a student-run sports television show at Delaware. Coulter also completed an internship with WABC-TV in New York City and was employed as the play-by-play announcer for Goldey-Beacom College’s men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball teams.
Doby is a 2016 graduate of Valparaiso University School of Law where she received her juris doctorate and a master of science in sports administration. She earned her undergraduate degree at Kennesaw State University and previously served as a compliance intern with the Kennesaw State athletics department.