LSU
Sports Information
INTRO THIS IS LSU TIGERS COACHES REVIEW PREVIEW RECORDS
Michael Bonnette
Bill Franques
Kent Lowe
Matt Dunaway
Bill Martin
Will Stafford
Jason Feirman
Krystal Bennett
Courtney Wilburn
Steve Franz
Kristen Chighizola
Jake Terry
HISTORY LSU
Michael Bonnette Associate AD/Sports Information
Michael Bonnette enters his 10th year as LSU’s Sports Information Director and third as an Associate Athletic Director after being promoted to his current position in April of 2007. Bonnette was originally elevated to Sports Information Director in August of 2000 and then promoted to Assistant Athletic Director in July of 2004. As Sports Information Director, Bonnette serves as the chief contact for LSU’s nationally-ranked football team as well as overseeing all publicity activities for the 20 sports sponsored by the Athletic Department. The 39-year-old Bonnette, who served as an Associate Sports Information Director for seven years, is in his 16th year with the LSU Athletic Department. The Lake Charles, La., native has been around the sports media relations profession his entire life as he is the son of longtime McNeese State Sports Information Director Louis Bonnette, who was inducted into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame in June of 2009. His brother Matthew Bonnette is the Assistant Sports Information Director at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches. Bonnette, who is a 1993 graduate of LSU, is past president of SIDS for the Southeastern Conference and is currently the vice-president for SIDs for the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. He is married to the former Robin Arnaud of Opelousas, La., and the couple has three sons, Peyton (12), Grant (10) and Max (4).
Bill Franques Senior Associate SID
Bill Franques works as the baseball program’s media relations director, and he serves as managing editor of LSU’s football, men’s basketball and baseball GAMEDAY publications. The LSU baseball media guide, written and edited by Franques, has twice been named best in the nation by the College Sports Information Directors of America. His baseball brochures have finished among the top six in the nation in 12 of the past 16 seasons, including his 2009 guide which had the nation’s winner for best cover. Franques is the Alex Box Stadium public address announcer, and he is the radio color analyst on LSU Sports Network broadcasts of baseball road games. In addition, he is the producer and co-host of LSU Sports Journal, a monthly television program featuring LSU sports personalities. Franques also worked from 1997-2000 as the LSU baseball administrative assistant. His duties included coordinating team and recruiting travel, organizing fundraising events and booster club meetings, and overseeing office operations. Franques received a bachelor of arts degree from LSU in 1985. The Lafayette, La., native is married to the former Yvette Lemoine of Bunkie, La., and they have three children -- William Paul, Jr. (8), Benjamin Lewis (7) and Madeline Lemoine (4).
Kent Lowe Senior Associate SID
A member of the LSU Sports Information staff since August 1988, Kent Lowe was appointed senior associate SID in August 2000. He serves as the primary media contact for the LSU men’s basketball team and women’s golf team. His voice is also well known as the color analyst on softball broadcasts on the LSU Sports Radio Network and for the past 15 years has written an award-winning bowling
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column for The (Baton Rouge) Advocate. Lowe, 51, came to LSU from Louisiana Downs where he served as publicity director for the Bossier City, La., racetrack. Lowe is a member of CoSIDA (his 2009 100th anniversary men’s basketball guide finished fifth in the nation) and its prestigious Academic All-American committee and is a past president of the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. Lowe, a native of Shreveport, is a 1979 graduate from LSUShreveport. He earned his masters degree at LSU in 1982.
Matt Dunaway Associate SID
Matt Dunaway heads into his second season as an associate sports information director at LSU. He serves as the primary media relations contact for the Tiger softball and volleyball teams in addition to publicizing LSU athletics community service efforts. Dunaway assisted in promoting LSU softball’s inaugural “Swing for the Cure” game in April 2009 where Tiger softball raised over $7,000 dollars for the Baton Rouge affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. He also fills in as the color analyst for selected softball road broadcasts on the LSU Sports Radio Network. Dunaway comes to LSU from Rice where he promoted the Owl women’s basketball and tennis teams in addition to sharing secondary football duties. Prior to Rice, Dunaway spent two years across town as a sports information assistant at the University of Houston. There he was the primary contact for the Cougar softball, volleyball and tennis teams Dunaway graduated from UCF in May 2005 with a BA in broadcast journalism from the Nicholson School of Communication. He was a student assistant in the sports information office and held sports director duties for the student chapter of the UCF ISP Sports Network responsible for broadcasting Golden Knight volleyball, women’s basketball, softball and baseball. Dunaway is a member of CoSIDA and lives in Baton Rouge.
Bill Martin Associate SID
Bill Martin enters his second year as associate SID where he handles all publicity for the LSU women’s basketball program. He also serves as the top media relations assistant for the Tigers’ football team. Martin, 26, returned to his alma mater after working as an intern in the University of Florida Sports Information office from January to May 2008. Martin handled all sports information duties for the Gators’ prominent men’s and women’s golf programs while also serving as the secondary contact for the Florida men’s basketball team and working closely with football. Prior to his stint at Florida, Martin served as a student intern in the LSU Sports Information office from August 2001 until December 2007. He handled all publicity for the swimming and diving program. Martin also served as the secondary SID for the LSU baseball team and a student assistant for the Tigers’ football team from 2003-07. Martin graduated from LSU with a bachelor of general studies degree in December 2007. The Lake Charles, La., native is a 2001 graduate of Barbe High School.
Will Stafford
Courtney Wilburn
Will Stafford enters his second year as a member of the LSU sports information staff as he serves as associate SID in charge of the nationally-renown men’s and women’s track and field programs, as well as the men’s golf and women’s soccer programs. Stafford is a native of Franklinton, La., and a 2006 graduate of LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism. Prior to receiving a full-time position at LSU, Stafford served as a graduate assistant with the sports information staff for two years while completing a master’s degree in sport management in the summer of 2008. In addition, He served as a student assistant at LSU for three years from 2003-06. Stafford’s media guides have been judged in the top five nationally on five occasions by the College Sports Information Directors of America, including the 2009 men’s golf guide that was second in the nation and this year’s track and field guide which placed third in the nation.
Courtney Wilburn is in her second year as graphic design coordinator for the LSU’s athletics publications. Her responsibilities include assisting in the design and productions of all publications for the athletics department. Wilburn, 23, worked as a student designer for the LSU Office of Public Affairs prior to earning her bachelor’s degree in mass communication in May 2008. She is a Sulphur, La., native and a graduate of Sulphur High School.
Associate SID
Jason Feirman Publications Director
Jason Feirman is in his ninth year as the director of LSU’s athletics publications. His responsibilities include the production design of media guides, game programs, posters, schedule cards, advertising campaigns and various other projects for all 20 varsity sports. Feirman also oversees the design of outdoor signage on LSU Athletics facilities. Feirman has coordinated 64 media guides and game programs that have finished among the top in the nation of the annual CoSIDA publications contest. In 2002-03 the LSU women’s basketball media guide was named “Best in the Nation” by CoSIDA out of 112 Division I entries. In 2004-05 his men’s basketball advertising campaign was awarded a Gold ADDY. In 2008, the women’s basketball guide was again “Best in the Nation” and the football Gameday program was voted as “Best Cover.” Feirman, 31, received a bachelor’s of arts degree from LSU in December of 2000. The Metairie, La. native, is married to the former Rachael Click, and they have a son, Cooper who was born February of 2008.
Graphic Design Coordinator
Steve Franz
Photography Coordinator Steve Franz, LSU’s staff photographer, joined the LSU athletics department in July of 1998 after being around the Tiger sports scene for years. Prior to joining LSU athletics, the New Orleans native served as photographer for the independent Tiger Rag magazine for five years. Franz was also a photographer for United Press International covering some of the area’s major political events, Presidential visits, the New Orleans Saints and the NCAA men’s and women’s Final Fours in New Orleans. Franz, 38, has had his pictures published in several national magazines, including Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News. He is a 1993 graduate of LSU.
Kristen Chighizola Graduate Assistant
Jake Terry Graduate Assistant
Krystal Bennett Graphic Design Coordinator
Krystal Bennett is in her fourth year as graphic design
coordinator for the LSU’s Athletic Publications office. Her responsibilities include assisting in the design and production of all publications for the athletics department as well as being the primary graphic designer for the Tiger Athletic Foundation. Bennett, 25, worked as a student assistant in the LSU athletics department for two years prior to earning her bachelor’s degree in graphic design in May, 2006. She has produced 16 media guides that have finished among the top in the nation of the annual CoSIDA publications contest. Her 2006 men’s tennis guide was awarded “Best Cover” and the book finished second in the nation. Her 2008 Baseball media guide and 2008 Gymnastics guide also finished second in the nation. More recently, her 2009 baseball and track & field guides were awarded “Best Cover” in the Nation by CoSIDA. She is a Haughton, La. native, and a graduate of Haughton High School.
2009-2010 LSU men’s Basketball Media Guide
Pat Fredericks
Administrative Assistant Sports Information Student Workers Molly Clark Tommy Schroepher Jesse Delerno Elizabeth Stuart Ryan Ginn Chad Vignes Sidney Kleinpeter Courtney Wimmert Kenli Langlois