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060426-Keller Hired

Administration Tom Riordan

UNCW Names Keller Senior Associate AD

WILMINGTON, N.C. - UNCW Athletics has announced the hiring of Kristen Keller as Senior Associate Athletics Director for Strategic Communications and Branding, Director of Athletics Michael Oblinger announced Thursday.

Keller brings extensive experience in strategic communications, brand development, digital strategy, and athletics storytelling at the NCAA Division I level. In her role, she will provide strategic leadership for all athletics marketing, branding, communications, and digital engagement efforts while overseeing integrated strategies designed to elevate the visibility and reputation of UNCW Athletics. 

"We are thrilled to welcome Kristen to the Seahawk family," said Oblinger. "Kristen is an innovative and relationship-driven leader who brings tremendous experience in strategic communications, brand management, and digital engagement at the highest levels of collegiate athletics. Her vision, creativity, and passion for storytelling will play a critical role in continuing to elevate the UNCW Athletics brand while enhancing how we connect with our student-athletes, fans, alumni, and the greater Wilmington community."

Keller joins UNCW after serving as Associate Athletic Director for Sports Brands and Communications at University of Southern California, where she led day-to-day communications efforts for the Trojans and oversaw a staff that included full-time employees, graduate assistants, and student workers. She managed media relations for USC Men's Basketball and Beach Volleyball while helping guide the department's overall brand and strategic communications efforts. 

Prior to USC, Keller served as Associate Athletic Director for Communications and Digital Strategy at UC Santa Barbara Athletics, where she directed all communications and content creation efforts for the department. During her tenure, she helped rejuvenate the Gauchos' brand identity, led the launch of a redesigned athletics website, and significantly increased social media engagement across departmental platforms. 

Keller also previously held communications leadership positions at Loyola University Chicago Athletics, Concordia University Chicago Athletics, and Trinity Christian College Athletics. Her experience spans media relations, content strategy, social media growth, brand management, game operations, storytelling, and staff leadership across multiple sports and organizational levels. 

"I couldn't be more excited to join the UNCW community," Keller said. "I'm incredibly grateful to Director of Athletics Michael Oblinger and the executive team for the opportunity to become a Seahawk. From the moment I stepped on campus, I could feel the energy surrounding athletics and the department's genuine commitment to supporting student-athletes. I'm looking forward to telling the stories that make UNC Wilmington Athletics so special." 

A native of Pennsylvania, Keller earned a Master of Science in Journalism with a Sports Media specialization from Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Felician University. She is actively involved with College Sports Communicators. The 2023 30-Under-30 recipient has recently been selected as an At-Large Representative on the organization's Board of Directors.
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