WAYS TO SUPPORT BELMONT ATHLETICS

2022–23 MEMBERSHIP GUIDE | 28 BEHIND THE BRUINS

Each day, Belmont’s 250 student-athletes are supported by a passionate, skilled athletic administration dedicated to providing them the best possible experience academically and athletically while on campus. Their hard work often goes unnoticed behind-the-scenes. Here are some of their stories...

Q&A WITH

24TH YEAR AT BELMONT RENEE SCHULTZ

ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, STUDENT SERVICES & SENIOR WOMAN ADMINISTRATOR

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AT BELMONT AND WHAT KEEPS

YOU HERE? I have been at Belmont for a total of 24 consecutive years—this includes my time as a student-athlete. I first arrived at Belmont in 1998 and was a member of the women’s soccer program and upon graduation I have served as a Graduate Assistant for women’s soccer, assistant coach and an athletic administrator. Belmont is a place that I LOVE—I genuinely enjoy my colleagues within the Athletic Department and all across campus! I also really enjoy mentoring our student-athletes during their time at Belmont—to see them enter as 18 year old kids and graduate 4-5 years later as young adults, is special! To sum it all up...I stay because I love what I do, who I work with and who I work for!

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ROLE HERE? My primary responsibilities are to manage and oversee all aspects of student-athlete support services from admission to graduation, including academic, social, physical and mental well-being of our student-athletes! I also serve as the Senior Woman Administrator for Belmont University and the Missouri Valley Conference, which is part of the leadership team for the conference and department. I work very closely with Scott Corley with the overall management of our department, including oversight of several of our athletic teams.

SPECIFICALLY, YOU WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR STUDENT-ATHLETES AND PROGRAMS FROM AN ACADEMIC STANDPOINT. WHAT DOES YOUR DAILY/WEEKLY/MONTHLY

WORK ENTAIL FROM THAT STANDPOINT? As in most roles, no two days are the same...I’m always running from one meeting to another and constantly shifting gears. My days consist of meeting with prospective and current student-athletes, coaches and administrators to various campus committee meetings. Constantly going from meeting to meeting, often times means that I am catching up on emails or projects in the evenings. Time is valuable, however, when a student or colleague wants to meet with me, I try to stop what I am doing and give them my full attention because in many cases being present is most important in that moment.

WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

YOU’VE EXPERIENCED AT BELMONT? There are a lot of rewarding experiences that I have been able to be a part of during my time at Belmont but I would have to say being on the sideline during the 2021 and 2022 Women’s Basketball NCAA Tournament wins were really special for different reasons! During the 2021 season, I was the lone staff member that as in the “Bubble” with the WBB team and was able to sit on the team bench when they upset Gonzaga in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament. It was an incredible win and the highlight for me personally of a very challenging year of COVID Management, however, much like COVID-19, it was a lonely win because we were unable to celebrate that moment with anyone outside of the bubble—this included Scott Corley, family members and fans. Fast forward to the 2022 NCAA Tournament, our WBB team defeated Oregon in dramatic fashion! This time, we were all able to celebrate the moment together, including with our immediate family members! 2021 was special but in some ways, it was lonely to not share that moment with those that we love— specifically, I felt for our coaches and student-athletes who could not hug their family or significant others! However, to be able to celebrate the win over Oregon with each other and our family members made the win even sweeter!

HOW HAVE YOU SEEN BELMONT ATHLETICS EVOLVE IN YOUR

TIME HERE? The growth on our campus has been tremendous over the past 24 years—enrollment and infrastructure have grown drastically during that time however, the heart and soul of Belmont has remained much the same! When I came to Belmont in the late 90s, Belmont was not well known outside of Nashville, unless you were involved in music or music business. I am biased but one of the greatest evolutions of Belmont is the fact that the Belmont Bruins brand is becoming more and more known nationally for more than music and I think Athletics, specifically the athletic success of our teams, has had a major part in that! I am excited to see Belmont continue to evolve under Greg Jones’s leadership!

CONVERSELY, HOW DO YOU WANT TO SEE BELMONT ATHLETICS CONTINUE TO GROW AND CHANGE THE NEXT

FIVE YEARS? This is an interesting question...there are a lot of changes on the horizon in the NCAA right now with Name, Image & Likeness (NIL), transfer portal, the NCAA’s Transformation Committee work, to name a few—we cannot be tone deaf to what is going on but at the same time, I believe it is really important to remain true to who we are as an institution and department—we cannot be someone that we are not. That being said, I am excited about our move to the Missouri Valley Conference this summer, it will be a new challenge for all of us and one that we are ready for! With the move to the Valley, I’m excited about the growth opportunities of the Belmont Bruins brand, revenue and media market growth and the continued support of our Bruin Club—the additional visibility and revenue opportunities is good for all of Belmont and specifically will help enhance the student-athlete experience!

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR ENJOYMENT OUTSIDE OF WORK?

Outside of work, I love spending time with my family whether that is watching my kids play sports, being on the lake or going on vacation! I also enjoy running—specifically trail running, it is good for my mind and body!

Q&A WITH

2ND YEAR AT BELMONT

JENNIFER JOHNSON

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & PROMOTIONS

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AT BELMONT AND WHAT KEEPS

YOU HERE? I am entering my second year with Belmont Athletics. I was drawn to Belmont because of its reputation, the location and the opportunities that my position has to help promote the Belmont Athletics brand. The people are what have kept me here; changing jobs during a pandemic definitely came with its challenges, but everyone was so welcoming when I started. Also, the collaboration not only in the Athletics department, but across campus is phenomenal. It’s great to see everyone truly working towards a common goal.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ROLE HERE? I oversee all marketing, promotional, and digital strategy efforts to support our 17 Division-I programs.

SPECIFICALLY, YOU WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR STUDENT-ATHLETES AND PROGRAMS FROM A MARKETING

STANDPOINT. WHAT DOES YOUR DAILY ENTAIL? Most of the work that we (myself and our Graduate Assistants) do with our programs takes place during their respective pre-seasons. We collaborate with coaches on media days and coordinating a promotional schedule for their home games.

My day-to-day varies based on the time of year and what sports are in season. I have most of my meetings early in the week and I try to finish all the design collateral that is needed for upcoming games by mid-week. Once design elements are complete, I will work on or review scripts for that week’s games. Sprinkled in there will be meetings with my Graduate Assistants, working with vendors to place orders for promotional products, deep diving into analytics and additional graphic design work.

WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

YOU’VE EXPERIENCED AT BELMONT? I would say helping to coordinate transportation and tickets for over 200 students to attend the 2nd Round of the NCAA Tournament to support our Women’s Basketball team this past season was really special. Bruin Nation truly showed up that night in Knoxville and it was great to see their enthusiasm and support.

HOW HAVE YOU SEEN BELMONT ATHLETICS EVOLVE IN YOUR

TIME HERE? Well…I went from being able to have zero students in attendance at sporting events when I started due to COVID to our student section being completely full for the December 2021 basketball game against Lipscomb. It’s been great to see students back at our events supporting our student-athletes and showing them how great Belmont Athletics is.

CONVERSELY, HOW DO YOU WANT TO SEE BELMONT ATHLETICS CONTINUE TO GROW AND CHANGE THE NEXT

FIVE YEARS? Belmont student-athletes continue to impress me with their work ethic and success both on and off their court/ field/course of competition. I hope that we continue to grow and celebrate their success with our Everyday Excellence motto in mind.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR ENJOYMENT OUTSIDE OF WORK?

I love a good DIY project. I will do anything from projects with the Cricut to revitalizing old furniture I find at a thrift store. I’ve also worked in sports my entire career, so I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that I enjoy going to sporting events outside of work.

Q&A WITH

18TH YEAR AT BELMONT GREG SAGE

ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, BROADCASTING & MEDIA RELATIONS

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AT BELMONT AND WHAT KEEPS

YOU HERE? This fall begins year 18 for me at Belmont University. People often ask me what makes Belmont special or ‘Why Belmont?’ In my mind, Belmont epitomizes what the college experience should be—athletics and academics at the highest level all within the construct of service, spiritual development, and discipleship. Being part of the Belmont community is inspiring, and it is a privilege to work within the Belmont athletic department.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ROLE HERE? My primary responsibility is to oversee all athletic communication, media, and public relations involving our 17 athletic teams and our athletic administration. That encompasses traditional media, digital and social media, and broadcasting elements—including live video and audio and on-demand content. Channeling Dr. Jones’ strategic vision for the university, I might describe myself as an “athletic storyteller.”

SPECIFICALLY, YOU WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH OUR STUDENT-ATHLETES AND PROGRAMS FROM A COMMUNICATIONS’ STANDPOINT. WHAT DOES YOUR DAILY/ WEEKLY/MONTHLY WORK ENTAIL FROM THAT STANDPOINT?

No two days are alike. Our athletic communications’ team and I plan out sport coverage in advance of each season and adjust accordingly based on how things play out. This includes event coverage, feature content and media pitches. For instance, as Belmont women’s basketball went on their run this past March, I leveraged established local and national media contacts to maximize the reach of their successes on and off the court.

WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

YOU’VE EXPERIENCED AT BELMONT? That’s easy. Getting to know the student-athletes and their families on a personal level. The pandemic deprived all of us from degrees of personal connection, and it has been wonderful to see that return. For instance, being able to experience Dylan Windler getting selected in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft, and having a front-row seat to that life-changing experience for Dylan and his family was remarkable.

HOW HAVE YOU SEEN BELMONT ATHLETICS EVOLVE IN

YOUR TIME HERE? From the rise in Belmont’s national profile to competitive success of our Belmont teams across the board, it is astounding to think about where Belmont has risen in such a short amount of time. Likewise, the seamless transition from Mike Strickland, Betty Wiseman and Rick Byrd—three cornerstone leaders at Belmont - to present-day leadership from Scott Corley, Renee Schultz, Casey Alexander, Bart Brooks and our other coaches can’t be understated. The expectation and belief of championship-level competition extends throughout the department, more so now than ever.

CONVERSELY, HOW DO YOU WANT TO SEE BELMONT ATHLETICS CONTINUE TO GROW AND CHANGE THE NEXT

FIVE YEARS? To say college athletics is in a season of change is a colossal understatement. Belmont should capitalize on this opportunity to reinforce what makes it special—student-athletes are known, loved, and cared for as individuals; valued for their unique gifts as people, not solely as athletes. That message and foundational commitment to the holistic model of college athletics resonates, with student-athletes, fans, supporters, and the broader Belmont community. Those shared experiences and personal connections are also what makes cheering on the Bruins rewarding.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR ENJOYMENT OUTSIDE OF WORK?

My wife and I enjoy road trips and supporting our daughters as they pursue dance and gymnastics. I also enjoy grilling, cooking and cheering on our Belmont student-athletes and those playing professionally.