HIGH POINT, N.C., Aug. 25, 2015 – High Point University recently hired Dr. Patrick McConnell as associate professor of sport communication. He is one of more than 40 new faculty joining HPU for the 2015-16 academic year.
McConnell serves as coordinator for the new sport communication sequence in the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication. He teaches courses in sports broadcasting, communication law and ethics, and human communication.
“It’s an exciting time for students interested in sports media as the field continues to grow, presenting aspiring professionals with an unprecedented number of opportunities. At the same time, the competition for positions in sports media is as great as ever,” McConnell says. “My goal is for the sport communication program to provide students with the educational foundation and hands-on experience that will give them the best opportunity to succeed in this competitive field.”
Recently relocated to High Point from Hickory, McConnell is an award-winning sports announcer, broadcast journalist and sports public relations professional with 20 years of experience. He has served as play-by-play announcer for more than 2,000 games of professional, college and high school sports. As a reporter, he covered professional baseball, the NBA, NFL, NASCAR and college sports. He also worked as communication director for a number of professional baseball organizations, including the Charlotte Knights. He received the Broadcaster of the Year Award from the Southern League of Professional Baseball Clubs in 1991.
McConnell joins HPU after six years as associate professor and chair of the Department of Communication and Performing Arts at Barton College. He has also taught courses at Lenoir-Rhyne University, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the University of Georgia, the University of Utah, Queens University of Charlotte, Central Piedmont Community College and the University of Limoges, France.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from Humboldt State University, a master’s degree in liberal studies from UNC-Charlotte and a doctorate in mass communication from the University of Georgia.