SUPPORT STAFF SHANE BESEDICK Asst. Athletic Trainer 2nd Year Long Beach State ’08 Shane Besedick begins his second season working at UCLA as the program’s athletic trainer. Besedick arrived at UCLA in Oct. 2014 from Pepperdine, where he served for three years as an assistant athletic trainer. While at Pepperdine, he worked with the men’s basketball team, as well as the men’s tennis and women’s swimming and diving programs. He also oversaw Pepperdine’s student athletic training program. Prior to his time at Pepperdine, Besedick was a graduate intern athletic trainer at the University of California, Berkeley, where he assisted the baseball, women’s soccer and men’s water polo teams. He accompanied the Golden Bears’ baseball program to the College World Series in 2011 A native of Los Angeles, Besedick graduated from Long Beach State in 2008 with a bachelor’s of science degree in kinesiology. He earned a master’s degree in exercise science and health promotion from California University of Pennsylvania in 2010.
JOHN P. DiFIORI, MD, FACSM Team Physician 22nd Year Franklin & Marshall, ’85 Dr. DiFiori has been a team physician for UCLA’s Athletic Department for 21 years. He currently serves as team physician for the football and men’s basketball programs. He is also a Professor and Chief in the Division of Sports Medicine of the Department of Family Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He attained his board certifications in Family Medicine in 1992 and in Sports Medicine in 1995. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from Franklin and Marshall in 1985, Dr. DiFiori received his medical degree from Temple University in 1989. He completed a residency in Family Medicine at Lancaster General Hospital in Lancaster, Pa., in 1992. After completing his fellowship training in Sports Medicine at UCLA in 1994, he accepted a faculty position with the UCLA Department of Family Medicine. He was appointed Chief of the Division of Sports Medicine in 2002. Dr. DiFiori serves as a medical consultant for the NHL Players Association and is a member of the USA Gymnastics physician referral network. He has served as a U.S. team physician for several international competitions including the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada. In addition, he has served as a physician for the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., and for USA Basketball.
BRIANA WALKER Staff Associate 2nd Year Florida State ’09 Briana Walker enters her second season working with the UCLA basketball team as the program’s staff associate. Her primary responsibilities include office management and day-to-day administrative responsibilities for head coach Steve Alford and his coaching staff.
In 2012, she earned her master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from Florida State. In addition, she worked in the human resources department at Pepperdine University while completing her graduate degree coursework.
ALEX TIMIRAOS
Born in San Diego, Walker had several “hometowns” growing up, as her father served in the U.S. military for 25 years. As a youngster, she spent time living in southern California, Florida, Hawaii, Washington and Virginia. Walker prepped at Rio Mesa High School in Oxnard, Calif., prior to attending Florida State.
Alex Timiraos enters his 10th year working in the UCLA athletic communications office, his fourth season as the primary contact for the men’s basketball team.
VERONICA RODRIGUEZ-MORA Academic Coodinator 2nd Year NYU ’02 Veronica Rodriguez-Mora arrived at UCLA in Sept. 2014 and serves as the academic coordaintor and learning specialist for the men’s and women’s basketball teams. Rodriguez-Mora also serves as the coordinator for the intern training program and the liasion for the degree completion program. Prior to working at UCLA, Rodriguez-Mora worked as an educator in the New York City public school system for 13 years. During the latter half of her teaching career, she was an adjunct instructor in the area of teacher preparation at New York University in the School of Education. She also served as an educational consultant for principals aspiring to create new public schools in NYC. Rodriguez-Mora earned her B.S. in special education K-21 in 2002 and a Master’s degree in biology education 7-12 in 2007 from New York University.
JANA SUKO Assoc. Director, Marketing 10th Year Eastern Washington ’99 Jana Suko serves as Associate Director of Marketing and oversees all aspects of promotions, ticketing and gameday production with the men’s basketball program. Suko enters her 10th season in UCLA’s marketing department, her fourth year overseeing men’s basketball marketing efforts. Suko’s other responsibilities include assisting with football marketing campaigns and in-game production and negotiating and fulfilling advertising agreements with media partners. In addition, she directs UCLA’s annual season ticket holder “select-a-seat” events for both the football and men’s basketball programs. Prior to arriving at UCLA in the summer of 2006, Suko spent four years in ticket sales and marketing with the Los Angeles Clippers. From 2003-05, she served as a sales manager with the Clippers, responsible for sales and marketing of the team’s group event business and all related game operations. In 2001 and 2002, she worked for the Clippers as an account executive who sold and managed a client base of ticket holders. Suko graduated from Eastern Washington University in 1999 with a bachelor of arts degree in business administration and marketing.
Prior to joining the basketball staff, she served as an academic mentor in the UCLA Academic and Student Services office during the 2013-14 school year. Walker also worked at Pepperdine University’s School of Law as the Faculty and Class Support Manager. A former cross-country and track and field student-athlete at Florida State, Walker graduated from the university in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a concentration in African-American studies.
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Athletic Communications 10th Year Boston College ’06
Timiraos oversees all aspects of media relations with the men’s basketball program, handling day-to-day interview and credential requests and editing various publications, in addition to the annual information guide. He also serves as the media contact for the women’s rowing program. Timiraos served as the primary contact for the baseball and men’s and women’s water polo teams during his first six years at UCLA. He accompanied the UCLA baseball team to the College World Series in 2010 and 2012. Prior to UCLA, Timiraos spent his four undergraduate years (2003-06) working as a student assistant in the athletic media relations office at Boston College. A lifelong Los Angeles resident, Timiraos graduated from Boston College in May 2006, earning a bachelor of arts degree in communication.
KENNY SIMPSON Equipment Manager 2nd Year N.C. State ’07 Kenny Simpson enters his second season working with UCLA’s equipment staff after having served in a similar capacity at Elon University. Simpson is the department contact for the men’s and women’s basketball teams. Prior to arriving at UCLA, Simpson spent the previous eight years working at Elon University, having started at the school as an assistant equipment manager in August 2007. A graduate of North Carolina State University, Simpson was promoted to head athletic facilities and equipment manager at Elon in 2008. Among his primary responsibilities included overseeing day-to-day equipment operations of the athletics department. While at Elon, Simpson worked with the football program, as well as the baseball, softball, men’s soccer, women’s soccer and lacrosse teams. Following his graduation from N.C. State in 2004, Simpson spent time working as an intern for the Miami Dolphins. In addition, he served in the equipment department at UNC Pembroke while the university ushered in a football program. While at UNC Pembroke, Simpson oversaw all equipment operations relating to the team’s first-ever training camp and football season.