Olson Named Associate Athletic Director for Strategic Communications at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has welcomed a seasoned communications professional and longtime Arkansas sports personality to .
Nate Olson has been named the new associate athletic director for strategic communications for Little Rock Athletics. He is responsible for leading the athletics communications team as well as being the primary contact for men鈥檚 basketball.
Olson brings more than 25 years of experience in sports reporting, corporate communications, public relations, and publishing to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. He aims to elevate the university鈥檚 athletic brand and foster deeper connections with fans and the community.
鈥淚 am very excited to join 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock,鈥� Olson said. 鈥淚 feel like an honorary alum because I married an esteemed alumna with four degrees from here. Sheena and I went on some of our first dates in 2000 watching the Trojans play basketball at the old Alltel Arena. We鈥檝e supported the school in a lot of ways over the years, and I鈥檝e gotten an up-close look at the school and its athletic program. I always knew this would be a great place to work, and I鈥檓 excited to help tell the Trojan story.鈥�
After growing up in Iowa, Olson earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree in journalism with a concentration in broadcasting from Northwest Missouri State University.
Prior to joining 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock, Olson was a regional editor for SBLive Sports, a high school sports digital media company that is a content partner with Sports Illustrated. Before that, he worked in corporate communications for six years serving as the public information officer for the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality and as a content creator for Simmons Bank. He also had his own communications consulting business, where he worked for clients such as Alzheimer鈥檚 Association Arkansas Chapter and Community Health Center of Arkansas. Additionally, he鈥檚 also worked as a community education specialist for Hospice Home Care and the editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette鈥檚 Sync Magazine.
Olson is well known in the Arkansas sports world, having covered prep and college sports in Arkansas since 1998. He鈥檚 worked as a sports writer and editor at newspapers including the Benton County Daily Record, Northwest Arkansas Times, Benton Courier, and Pine Bluff Commercial. On the magazine side, Olson鈥檚 taken on roles as editor of Hooten鈥檚 Arkansas Football Annual and editor-in-chief and publisher of Vype High School Sports Magazine.
When he was working as the assistant sports editor for the Benton County Daily Record, Olson recalls covering a particularly memorable football game in November 1999 when the Razorbacks defeated Mississippi State at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. Afterwards, he and a buddy went to a place called Smitty鈥檚.
鈥淎nd this is when Sheena came into the picture,鈥� Olson recalled. 鈥淏y Dec. 13, we were exclusive, and we married in March 2001. We settled here in Little Rock because her dad was diagnosed with cancer. This changed the trajectory of my career, and I ended up becoming the sports writer and editor for the Pine Bluff Commercial for five years.鈥�
While Olson is the one who is known in public, Sheena Olson, who works as the vice president for government relations at Arkansas Children鈥檚 Hospital, 鈥渋s the real difference maker in the family.鈥�
鈥淪he is one of the most intelligent people I鈥檝e ever known in my life, and I admire her because she鈥檚 worked really hard in her career to get where she is,鈥� Olson said. 鈥淪heena came to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock as a Donaghey Scholar and earned a double major in Spanish and criminal justice. Then, she went to get an MPA, law degree, and a master鈥檚 degree from the Clinton School of Public Service. She is a poster child for what this school can do for you. My affinity for 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock and Little Rock Athletics comes from being married to her.鈥�
The Olsons live in Bryant and have two sons 鈥� JD, a sophomore, and Luke, an eighth grader.
鈥淏eing a dad is one of the best things in my life,鈥� Olson commented. 鈥淎 lot of people may know me as a sports media personality, but people around Bryant know me as JD and Luke鈥檚 dad. I am their biggest fan. I鈥檝e reported on thousands of kids, but to be able to see my own kids play is so awesome.鈥�