Sports In The Making

Paul Kirk - Associate AD Strategic Communications, University of Utah & Former Director of Media Relations, Denver Broncos

Episode Summary

In this episode I talk with Paul Kirk, Associate Athletic Director for Strategic Communications at the University of Utah about how he helps collegiate athletes use media effectively, what goes into the position and what his experience was like with the Denver Broncos during their back-to-back Super Bowl Championship seasons. He also talks about what it was like working for the late Pro Football Hall of Fame owner, Pat Bowlen.

Episode Notes

• 1:40 - What he does with the University of Utah Athletics.
• 3:10 - What the guidelines are for how the university media department protects the student athletes.
• 5:00 - How social media has affected his job in following the media and student athletes.
• 6:15 - How university media relations departments help athletes build their brands.
• 7:40 - How he deals with a potential mishap by use of social media by an athlete.
• 9:30 - How the media department builds relationships with the student athletes.
• 11:00 - With the potential NCAA rules changes with athletes monetizing themselves, how will that affect athletic departments?
• 11:35 - Where his love of sports comes from.
• 12:00 - How he got into sports media?
• 16:25 - What someone who’s new in media relations does in their jobs.
• 18:20 - How he found a position in the Denver Broncos media relations department in the late 1990’s.
• 20:10 - How he grew to became the Director of Media Relations with the Denver Broncos and what the media environment was like.
• 21:40 - What the competition in sports media was like in the Denver market and how he learned from Jim Saccomano, former head of PR for the Denver Broncos.
• 25:05 - The difference in building relationships with collegiate athletes vs. professional athletes.
• 26:35 - How he managed media requests during Denver’s back-to-back Super Bowl seasons.
• 28:57 - How many media requests he received during the Super Bowl.
• 30:45 - What the craziest media request he’s ever received.
• 32:40 - What the Broncos’ organization was like under the late Hall of Fame Owner Pat Bowlen and how his ownership was based on winning championships and family.
• 35:45 - How he became a part of ProLink Sports after the Denver Broncos.
• 39:30 - What the differences are working for a smaller university versus the bigger schools.
• 40:10 - What a bowl game is like for media relations in comparison to a Super Bowl.
• 41:30 - Best advice he’s received working in this industry.
• 43:25 - Recommendations for someone who is interested in a career in media relations and what to expect.
• 45:10 - What sports fans should know about how media relations helps the viewer enjoy the sport.