FAYETTEVILLE — The Arkansas Razorbacks are in the market for a new leader for their communications department.
Patrick Pierson, who has led the department for the past three years and spent five years overall at Arkansas, has accepted a similar position at Oregon. Pierson said he will begin his new job as the Ducks' associate athletic director for communications on Feb. 5.
Pierson, 36, said the move will allow him and his longtime girlfriend, Sarah Brolsma Whitfield, to be close to her family in Oregon.
"It gives us the opportunity for one of us to be close to home and still be professionally satisfied," Pierson said. "That's rare."
Pierson spent two seasons as the Razorbacks' media contact for basketball before he was promoted to assistant athletic director for communications in 2015. He managed a department of seven full-time employees and 10 interns, including some with paid internships.
His primary role was as the lead media contact for Arkansas football, only the fourth person to hold the position since 1977.
"I came here to work for Coach (Mike) Anderson and the men's basketball program, and when I interviewed here five years ago what sold me was Mike and his program and the family atmosphere," Pierson said. "I didn't know what to expect coming to Arkansas, but when I got here it reminded me so much of my hometown in western New York.
"Arkansas has exceeded my expectations by anything I could have dreamt of when I got here."
Chris Freet, UA senior associate athletic director for external communications, said an interim director for the communications department will be announced sometime this week and a national search for Pierson's replacement has begun.
“We’re going to miss Pat Pierson, professionally and personally," Freet wrote in an email. "Pat’s greatest strengths are his ability to build relationships and create a culture of service. He is among the very best in the industry in both of these areas and the entire Department of Athletics has benefitted from his efforts over the last five years. The Oregon Ducks are adding a star to their administrative staff.”