Kentucky Wesleyan College Sports Information Director Roy Pickerill (’75), who recently completed his 41st year at the college, has announced he will step down from his current role, effective August 15.
He will remain at the college as the Special Assistant for College Relations, serving as an ambassador for alumni relations, development, and public relations efforts as part of the advancement division. Pickerill will also be named Sports Information Director – Emeritus and maintain his current regional and national professional affiliations.
“This is a great opportunity for me as I will be able to serve every aspect of Kentucky Wesleyan College in an ambassador type role and serve as a resource to advance our future,” Pickerill stated. “This new position is tailor made for me, and I’m very appreciative to President Bart Darrell, Vice President for Advancement Tom Keith and Director of Athletics Rob Mallory for allowing me to take on this exciting opportunity.”
A Louisville native, Pickerill graduated from Western High School before enrolling at Kentucky Wesleyan College in the fall of 1971. Over the next four years, Pickerill worked as a manager for the men’s basketball program under Bob Jones, earning his bachelor’s degree in Physical Education in 1975. He has served several vital roles for the college since that time and become part of the fabric of what makes Kentucky Wesleyan the institution it is today.
“Roy Pickerill has been the face of Kentucky Wesleyan College athletics public relations,” said Kentucky Wesleyan President Bart Darrell. “He is also a national leader in the collegiate sports information industry. What many may not realize or know is the many other Wesleyan initiatives and projects in which Roy has been an integral part over his forty plus years at the College. Wesleyan is better because of Roy, and we are so excited about his decision to accept a position as Special Assistant for College Relations. This will be yet another great enhancement to Wesleyan’s advancement and development efforts.”
Pickerill began his career at Kentucky Wesleyan as the full-time equipment manager in 1975, then moved to the Public Relations office before launching a legendary 28-year career as Sports Information Director. His time in his current role includes a 23-year run as the media coordinator for the NCAA Division II Elite Eight National Championship Tournament.
“It is impossible to overstate the impact Roy Pickerill has had on Kentucky Wesleyan athletics over the course of his career,” said Rob Mallory, Director of Athletics at Kentucky Wesleyan. “No one has done more to make this department what it is today. On a personal level, his willingness to share his time and knowledge was invaluable to me in my first year as Athletic Director. All of us in the athletic department will miss Roy’s daily presence, but we are thrilled that he is remaining with the college and will continue do what he has always done, pour his heart and soul into making his alma mater the best it can be.”
Pickerill has earned several national awards over the course of his distinguished career. His peers in the College Sports Information Directors of America inducted him into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame in 1999. He was the first SID from the state of Kentucky to be inducted. Pickerill served as the first President of the Division II Sports Information Directors Association from 2006-2009.
Pickerill also received CoSIDA’s prestigious Warren Berg Award in 1998. This award is presented annually to a college division member who has made outstanding contributions to the field of sports information.
His athletic publications have won 30 CoSIDA awards, including 20 “Best in the Nation” distinctions. In addition, Pickerill received awards for publications from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and the Public Relations Society of America.
Kentucky Wesleyan College inducted Pickerill into its Alumni Hall of Fame in 2012, as well as the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.
A national search for his replacement will begin immediately.
