July 23, 2014
THE FLATS – Georgia Tech has announced the hiring of Chris Yandle to the position of Assistant Athletic Director for Communications and Public Relations.
Yandle, who is among the leading communications professionals in college athletics, comes to the Flats after serving in a similar role at the University of Miami. At Georgia Tech, Yandle will lead the Yellow Jackets’ communications and public relations efforts and serve as the primary contact for the football program.
“There is no doubt that Chris is one of the most progressive and creative minds in communications and social media strategy at the collegiate level,” said director of athletics Mike Bobinski. “We were very aware of, and impressed by, the great work Chris was doing at Miami and are extremely excited to welcome him and his family to Georgia Tech. I’m confident that everyone who follows the Yellow Jackets will notice and enjoy the impact Chris will have on the quality and content of our communications in the years ahead.”
Yandle was promoted to Assistant AD for Communications at Miami last year after joining the Hurricanes staff in 2012. He assumed complete responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the five-person communications team, while serving as the primary contact for the Hurricanes football team.
“I’m extremely humbled and honored for this opportunity to be a part of the Georgia Tech Athletics family,” said Yandle. “I appreciate Mike Bobinski’s forward-thinking views about digital and social media, and I look forward to sharing new communications strategies with our department.”
In addition to his social media philosophy that has been a model for other collegiate programs, Yandle helped foster relationships in the local and national media in his time at Miami. The recipient of the 2014 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Rising Star Award, Yandle is co-authoring a college textbook on social media plans in sports that is expected to be released in 2015.
Prior to joining the Hurricanes, Yandle was the primary basketball contact for four years at Baylor University and assisted with several other sports including football. The Houma, La., native was one of the leaders behind the successful Heisman Trophy campaign of quarterback Robert Griffin III in 2011-12, and was one of the key contributors to Baylor’s increased presence across social media platforms.
Yandle began his professional career in the office of his alma mater, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he served as assistant sports information director from 2007 to 2008.
The 2004 Louisiana-Lafayette graduate also earned a master’s degree in athletic administration from Marshall University in 2007.
Yandle and his wife Ashleigh have one son, Jackson, and one daughter, Addison.
