COLUMBIA, S.C. (courtesy auyellowjackets.com) — Allen University Director of Athletics Jasher Cox has announced Troy Baranik as the university’s new sports information director (SID).
“My wife and I are very excited to move back to the Columbia area at Allen University,” said Baranik. “My experience coming from another similar NCAA private school in North Carolina should suit myself and Allen well in this transition. I have already hit the ground running with fall sports in full swing.”
Prior to Allen, Baranik was the full-time SID at Div. III North Carolina Wesleyan University in Rocky Mount for four years (2018-2022) where he was in charge of 16 sports. Before Wesleyan, Baranik worked at his alma mater, St. Andrews University, in Laurinburg, North Carolina for 6 and 1/2 years where he served as the primary media contact for all 21 NAIA varsity athletic teams.
While at Wesleyan, Baranik hosted numerous NCAA Tennis Postseason Regional Tournaments as well as numerous conference championship events in the sports of baseball, cross country, tennis and golf. He also hosted the NJCAA regional basketball tournament in 2020.
Baranik is a 2011 graduate of St. Andrews University and holds a B.A. in Sport and Recreational Studies. He was also a four-year varsity wrestler under his father, Joe Baranik, the former wrestling coach at St. Andrews.
Baranik completed an internship in 2011-12 with the Penn State University Athletic Communications Department and worked with sports including football, soccer, volleyball, and wrestling.
While at Penn State, Baranik also interned at ESPN Radio’s local affiliate 1450 in State College, Pa. where he covered college football games, high school football games, and wrestling matches while editing radio footage from the days’ broadcasts. Baranik would also report scores and game reports live over the station’s airwaves after games as well.
Baranik serves as Allen’s primary communications liaison with the SIAC Athletic Conference and the NCAA. He submits all the Yellow Jacket Athletic statistics to the SIAC and NCAA. Maintaining Allen’s official athletics website, distributing press releases to sports media outlets and producing team rosters are all on Baranik’s new agenda.
“We are very excited to add Troy to our staff,” commented AD Cox. “He brings a wealth of experience and expertise from a similar small, North Carolina private school setting. He is a great fit with our current staff and I’m sure our students will benefit greatly from his efforts.”
Limestone professor elected president of S.C. Social Workers Association