Thursday, June 4, 2020
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The efforts by Western Washington athletic communications director Jeff Evans to publicize the highly-successful Western Washington volleyball program have been recognized as among the best in the nation.
Evans was named as the Division II sports information finalist for the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Grant Burger Media Award, which was announced on June 4. The annual award recognizes members of the media and sports information professionals who have been involved in the advancement of the sport of volleyball through consistent coverage in all mediums.
Evans was one of seven finalists in the sports information category, which honored athletic communications professionals at each NCAA division and the NAIA for the women’s game along with a national finalist for both men’s volleyball and beach volleyball.
Wrapping up his fifth year leading sports information efforts at Western Washington, Evans was singled out for his work managing the Vikings’ live webstreams of volleyball, which includes occasional work as a color analyst, and the use of social media to significantly increase the exposure of the program. Head coach Diane Flick-Williams said that more people seem to know about WWU volleyball despite the fact that the program receives no regular local media coverage.
“Jeff has brought a new level of awareness and outreach for our progam," Flick-Williams said. "He is always looking for creative and effective ways to promote not only Viking volleyball but also GNAC volleyball and the sport of volleyball. More importantly, his efforts are driven by his deep passion to enhance the experience of our student-athletes. I can't thank him enough for all that he does.”
In addition to the electronic media efforts, Evans produces highly-detailed weekly notebook releases for the program and has provided a comprehensive postseason media guide for the last five WWU runs to the NCAA Division II Championships, which included national runner-up finishes in 2015 and 2018.
Before joining the Western Washington staff, Evans spent nine seasons with the baseball information department for the Seattle Mariners, where he played a key role in the team’s promotional campaign that helped earn Edgar Martinez induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He has also worked for the Texas Rangers and Arizona State. He is a 2000 graduate of Washington State, where he worked three years as an athletic media relations student assistant under CoSIDA Hall of Famer Rod Commons.
In 2019, Evans was named a regional honoree for the Grant Burger Media Award for the NCAA Division II West Region. The Big Ten Network was named the overall 2020 Grant Burger Media Award winner.