Averett University Hires Thomas Heaney to Athletics Communications Staff
According to official athletic department announcements, Averett University Director of Athletics Communications Dominik Pocrnja completed his staff with the hiring of Thomas Heaney ’25 as athletics …, mirroring broader industry movements that include Keelyn Harkey joining the University of Iowa Athletics Department as an associate director of athletics strategic communications.
The Administrative Shift in Collegiate Athletic Communications
Behind every major college athletic program sits a complex web of media relations, public relations campaigns, and award nominations that dictate how a university’s brand is perceived nationally. According to official University of Iowa announcements, Harkey arrived in Iowa City from the University of Richmond, where he served as an assistant director since 2023. During his tenure at Richmond, Harkey managed communications for a women’s basketball program that advanced to three consecutive NCAA Tournaments from 2024 to 2026, highlighted by the first NCAA Tournament victory in school history in 2025.
The operational demands of running a modern athletic communications department extend far beyond writing press releases. Staff members must execute sophisticated national and conference award campaigns while simultaneously managing day-to-day media access across multiple sports. According to official athletic records, Harkey led the award campaigns for Maggie Doogan, who secured back-to-back Atlantic 10 Player of the Year honors in 2025 and 2026.
Expanding Program Portfolios and Pre-Professional Pathways
The pipeline from collegiate graduation to full-time athletic administration remains intensely competitive. At Averett University, the addition of Thomas Heaney ’25 to Dominik Pocrnja’s staff emphasizes a commitment to cultivating internal talent who understand the distinct culture of their alma mater. At the major conference level, incoming professionals inherit vast multi-sport oversight portfolios. According to University of Iowa documentation, Harkey’s responsibilities upon his August 24 start date include serving as the primary sport contact for women’s basketball while supervising coverage for women’s soccer, women’s golf, and rowing.
Harkey’s prior experience includes coordinating public relations efforts for multiple Atlantic 10 Conference championship teams and serving as the contact for Richmond men’s tennis during its 2026 championship season and NCAA Tournament appearance.
Foundational Experience and Institutional Trajectories
The career path of modern athletic communications professionals typically involves rigorous graduate assistantships and high-volume internship programs. According to official biographical records, Harkey spent a year-and-a-half as an athletics communications graduate assistant at Valdosta State University. During that period, he aided communications efforts for the football program’s NCAA Division II National Championship runner-up season in 2021, the women’s basketball team’s Elite Eight appearance in 2022, and the softball program’s 2022 NCAA South Region Championship.
Before his time in Georgia, Harkey began his career as an intern at the University of Oklahoma in 2021, working alongside men’s and women’s basketball, the 2021 National Championship softball team, and track and field programs. Educational credentials underpinning these administrative roles include a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a minor in sports management earned from Oklahoma in 2021, followed by a master’s degree in communications secured from Valdosta State in 2023.
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