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Following a national search, Marist College in Poughkeepsie has named sports journalist Jane McManus as the Director of the College’s Center for Sports Communication, effective as of Dec. 1.
McManus, a longtime Ossining resident who was a reporter and broadcaster for ESPN, has been covering sports in New York for two decades, including 18 U.S. Opens, five Super Bowls, two NCAA Final Fours, and the inaugural season of the New York Liberty WNBA team. She had previously served as an adjunct professor at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.
“I’ve always been engaging in — not just covering — games and the people who play them, and also the process of that coverage. Ever since I graduated from Columbia, there hasn’t been a year where I didn’t speak in a class or teach one,” she stated. “Marist’s Center for Sports Communication is committed to that conversation, and developing unique ways for students to learn to see above the X’s and O’s even as they get hands-on experience with the technology required for the next generation of professionals.”
The hiring committee that selected McManus noted that she has “served on numerous panels for industry and academic conferences to discuss sports issues and interview athletes and innovators such as WNBA legend Lisa Leslie, Flywheel CEO Sarah Robb O’Hagan, Under Armor CEO Kevin Planke, and volleyball star Gabrielle Reece.”
“Jane has established herself as a superb sports communication professional with a deep understanding of the sports field. She will bring a wealth of experience to this position from her many years as an active journalist and sports media expert,” Lyn Lepre, Dean of the School of Communication and the Arts said. “Marist’s Center for Sports Communication was formed to serve as a place for thought leadership and as a premiere location for students to train and learn about this burgeoning field. Jane is the ideal choice to connect with students and external audiences and enhance our growing national reputation.”
McManus said that her appointment comes at a time when the business of sports media “is at a crossroads.”
“The business of sports media is at a crossroads, but the need for prepared professionals is greater than ever,” she said. “I want to be part of a center committed to anticipating the needs of emerging employers even as it steeps students in the history that will create engaged and critical thinkers. Sports have always drawn people because they inspire an unequaled passion, I want to help channel that passion into the education required to make it a career.”
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