BYU announced what was termed as a restructuring of its athletic communications department on Monday, including an unspecified number of layoffs among its media relations personnel.
“This was a strategic decision we felt needed to be made,” BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe said in a statement. “While the impact of COVID-19, including a multimillion-dollar revenue loss, can’t be ignored and requires us to make fiscal decisions, we feel like we’re moving forward with a new model that is going to allow us to be more efficient in our future plans.”
Part of that restructuring involves creating hybrid communications positions that emphasize social media, in addition to retaining traditional media relations responsibilities. In addition, the school’s athletic department announced the hiring of Jon McBride as associate athletic director of communications and media strategy.
“We have made a number of important strides in our athletic department over the past few years in utilizing video, graphic design and social media,” Holmoe said. “We’re constantly moving forward, to be on the cutting-edge, ready to promote the BYU brand, our teams, our student-athletes and connect with Cougar Nation in new and innovative ways. As the ever-changing media landscape continues to shift, we are excited to have Jon’s unique skillset and experience in new media to utilize undiscovered avenues and technologies.”