Purdue News

Cooperider promoted to assistant athletics director WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Jay Cooperider, since July 2000 director of communications and information services for the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics, has been promoted to assistant athletics director for communications. The change takes effect July 1. Cooperider heads the Athletic Public Relations and Communications office. In that capacity, he oversees the sports information staff and has responsibility for varied elements at Purdue athletics events, including the Jumbotron at football games and p.a. announcers and scoreboard personnel at basketball games. He works closely with the firm that provides radio play-by-play coverage of football and mens and womens basketball, game programs, and television coaches shows. His staff also maintains the official Boilermaker Web site, www.purduesports.com. Cheerleading, mascots and coaching video also report to him, and he is liaison between Intercollegiate Athletics and Purdue Bands. He is a member of Athletics Director Morgan Burkes senior staff and represents Intercollegiate Athletics on several university committees. "Jay has become an integral member of my senior staff and has demonstrated an ability to lead the telling of the athletics story with an emphasis on our student-athletes," Burke said. "In a rapidly changing communication environment, his prior experiences have certainly helped us stay abreast of how to utilize current and emerging technology to communicate with Boilermaker fans worldwide." A Purdue staff member since 1988, Cooperider worked for the Journal and Courier in Lafayette from 1985 until he was hired as a science writer for the School of Agriculture and Purdue News Service. At the newspaper, he was a reporter and later projects editor and city editor. In 1990, he became managing editor of Purdue Perspective, the quarterly newspaper mailed to alumni, parents of undergraduates, faculty and staff, and friends of Purdue. In 1992, he was named editor of Inside Purdue, the newspaper for faculty and staff. He was assistant director of university periodicals when he joined the Intercollegiate Athletics staff in 2000. Cooperider is a 1984 graduate of the University of Cincinnati. Cooperider is active in community activities, including the United Way and as a youth soccer and baseball coach. He is married to Karen, a fifth-grade teacher at Miller Elementary School in Lafayette. They have two children, Megan and Zane. For further information, please contact Morgan Burke at 765-494-3189 or Jay Cooperider at 494-3197