Colorado State University Pueblo Vice President for Athletics and Strategic Partnerships Dr. Paul Plinske and CSU Pueblo Director of Sports Communications Ben Greenberg have announced the addition of Tyler McDonough to the Thunderwolves' athletics administration as the Assistant Director of Sports Communication/Branding and Social Media. McDonough will begin his position at CSU Pueblo in early January 2024.
"We are excited to welcome Tyler to the CSU Pueblo Athletics family. Tyler is someone that brings an athletic background and passion for athletic communications that will help him be successful in the promotion of our student-athletes and team here at CSU Pueblo", Greenberg said. "I can't wait for Tyler to arrive and help us continue to develop our athletic communications team into one of the best in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference."
McDonough will serve as the communications officer for certain Thunderwolves' intercollegiate sports, along with working on the branding and social media needs of the athletics department. He will communicate the story of CSU Pueblo student-athletes and coaches to local, regional, and national media through different outlets.
"I would like to thank Dr. Plinske and Ben Greenberg, along with the athletic staff at CSU Pueblo for their confidence in me to assist Ben in telling the story of our student-athletes," McDonough said. "I know the level of pedigree CSU Pueblo athletics has, and I'm excited to make my way to Colorado and play my part in an outstanding athletic department."
McDonough comes to Pueblo after an athletic career at East Texas A&M, where he served as team captain of the men's golf team and a practice squad player for the basketball program. During his senior season, McDonough helped lead his team to the 2021 Division II Men's Golf National Championship. In addition to being a student-athlete at East Texas A&M, McDonough also worked as an athletic communications assistant to his mentors - Sports Information Director Josh Manck and Athletic Director Tim McMurray. He was also an All-State Basketball player in the State of Texas at Llano High School and is the school-record holder for points in one game (40), and in a season in 2014, averaging 21.6 PPG. He has tons of passion for the game of basketball and golf, including playing, coaching, and broadcasting.
"I'm really excited to be here," McDonough said. "Now that my playing career is over, I hope that I can help promote our student-athletes and help them have the best collegiate experience just like I once did."
During his time at A&M-Commerce, McDonough was very active in the athletic department. He served in the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), twice as a representative and twice as an elected officer. He was the co-founder of an athletic group "Responsible Lions," a student-athlete organization dedicated to helping athletes with their mental health. In his duties as an athletic communications assistant, McDonough served as the lead play-by-play announcer for ETAMUÂ softball, color commentator for ETAMUÂ basketball, assistant statistician for ETAMUÂ football, including the 2017 national championship team, and a writer/photographer for certain sports. He has called numerous NCAA softball postseason events, covered three football national championships, announced postseason volleyball, and assisted in sports information for just about every sanctioned NCAA sport.
He has also been awarded the Lone Star Conference Student Sports Information Award twice, won numerous awards with the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA) for sports articles and photos, and the Lion Pride award – an award for being the best captain of an athletic team at A&M-Commerce.
After completion of his playing career in 2021, McDonough returned to his native home in the Texas Hill Country where he worked in many athletic communication roles. He has performed duties such as a play-by-play announcer for ESPN College Basketball, color commentator for Southland Conference Basketball and Big 12 Basketball, athletics announcer for his alma mater- Llano High School, and was a radio personality for KITY Radio. In addition to his media roles, McDonough was also a professional golfer the last two years, associated with Legends Golf Club in Kingsland, TX, and coached AAU Basketball.
McDonough, an Austin, TX native, received his bachelor's degree in Communications in 2020, and a master's degree in International Sport Management in 2021, both from East Texas A&M. In his free time while not working, you can find him watching film for his sports podcast, talking about Texas Tech Basketball, looking for a pick-up game, or out on the links playing golf.
