MSU PERSONNEL
2011 Football Guide
Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications
Assistant Director of Athletics for External Affairs
Fourth Year at Missouri State
Fifth Year at Missouri State
Missouri State alumnus Rick Kindhart is in his fourth year directing MSU’s athletics communications efforts and his third as assistant director of athletics. In addition to overseeing the dayto-day operations of the department, he is the primary contact for Bears’ football and men’s basketball and serves on the University Marketing Council and the NCAA Self-Study Committee. Kindhart came to Missouri State in July 2008 after serving as assistant executive director for communications for the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) for a total of 11 years. Kindhart began his stint at MSHSAA in 1996 as communications and publications director and illed that role until 2000, when he accepted the job of statistics coordinator for the NCAA in Indianapolis. He returned to MSHSAA in 2001 and was promoted to assistant executive director on July 1, 2005. Kindhart graduated cum laude from Missouri State University in 1991,and received his master’s degree in 1993 from Southeast Missouri State, where he served as assistant sports information director from 1991-93. From 1993-96, he was sports information director at Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss. He is a member of the College Sports Information Directors of America, Society for American Baseball Research, and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. He has earned numerous regional and national writing and publication awards, including four national top- ive publications at Missouri State. He and his wife, Christy, have two children, Matt and Shelby.
Padraic McMeel enters his fourth full year at Missouri State after assuming the post of assistant director of athletics for external affairs in February 2008. In his irst three-plus years at MSU, McMeel has directed the implementation of the seat selection program for JQH Arena, the Bears’ and Lady Bears’ new state-of-the-art $67 million basketball facility which opened in November 2008. McMeel came to Missouri State after serving as associate director of the Golden Knights Club (GKC) and director of premium seating at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. In that position, he was responsible for suite and club seat sales and assisted with GKC annual giving. He spent a year as assistant director of GKC before becoming associate director in 2006. Prior to his stint at UCF, McMeel spent time in the athletic departments at Illinois State and Central Michigan. He earned his undergraduate degree in sport administration from Central Michigan in 1994 and received his master’s degree from CMU in athletic administration in 2005. McMeel lives in Spring ield with his wife, Ashley, their daughter, Logan, and son, Casen.
Assistant Director of Athletics for Compliance General Manager Nelligan Sports Marketing, Inc. Second Year at Missouri State Mary-Bec Gwyn returns for her second year at Missouri State as general manager for Nelligan Sports Marketing, Inc. Gwyn came to Spring ield in June 2010 shortly after Missouri State entered into a long-term partnership with NSM for the purpose of maximizing the University’s athletics exposure and marketing potential. As general manager, Gwyn leads the department’s sales efforts, overseeing a staff of two full-time and several student employees with a focus on managing inventory and building client relations. A 2001 graduate of the University of Kentucky, Gwyn returned to Nelligan after spending several years in the medical sales ield with Mizuho OSI and a stint as an account executive with Fox Cable Networks. The Duluth, Ga., native initially began her career with NSM while working toward her master’s degree in sport administration at the University of Louisville.
Bears
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Fourth Year at Missouri State
Kyle Yates begins his fourth year as assistant director of athletics for compliance after joining the Missouri State athletics staff in July 2008. Yates came to MSU after spending three years as assistant director of athletics compliance at TCU. His duties included monitoring the activity of coaches and staff for NCAA rules compliance, as well as the oversight of maintenance on the TCU athletics compliance web site. At Missouri State, Yates is responsible for the organization and overall administration of the MSU athletic department’s NCAA compliance program, including the certi ication of eligibility and coordination of inancial aid for student-athletes. He is also charged with monitoring coaches’ activities relative to rules compliance, and administering educational measures for athletics staff members. A 2004 graduate of Texas A&M, Yates completed his MBA from TCU in 2007.
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