June 10, 2011
LEXINGTON, Ky. – John Hayden, who has served as an assistant director of media relations since joining the University of Kentucky athletics department in July 2006, has been promoted to associate director of media relations, UK senior associate athletics director for communications DeWayne Peevy announced Thursday.
“It’s been a tremendous blessing to work in the University of Kentucky Athletics Department,” Hayden said. “Mitch (Barnhart) has done a tremendous job of building a family atmosphere here and working with high-profile coaches and student-athletes at the top of their sports has been an amazing experience. I also owe a huge thank you to DeWayne Peevy, as well as all the coaches I’ve worked with at UK and the University of Alabama, who have all helped me get to this position.”
Hayden has served as the primary contact for women’s soccer and the secondary contact for men’s basketball the past five seasons and will continue to handle UK’s media relations efforts with both sports. However, Hayden’s work with the men’s basketball team will expand as he will now be the primary media relations contact for all men’s basketball student-athletes, assistant coaches and staff. Peevy will continue to handle head men’s basketball coach John Calipari’s availability.
Hayden will also continue to hire and oversee Kentucky’s two media relations assistants, but will now also be the liaison and supervisor over UK’s assistant directors of media relations.
“From day one, I knew that John was fully capable and ready to take on a larger role in men’s basketball to go along with his duties in women’s soccer,” Peevy said. “He’s a natural leader and this promotion really reflects his growth over the last three years.”
Before coming to Kentucky, Hayden spent six years as an assistant director of media relations at the University of Alabama, where he directed the media and public relations efforts for the football, softball, women’s soccer, men’s cross country, and track and field programs. During his tenure with Alabama, the softball team made four appearances at the College World Series (2000, 2003, 2005, 2006).
After graduating from Alabama in December of 1998 with a degree in broadcasting, Hayden served as an intern in the media relations department with the Chicago White Sox’s AA affiliate, the Birmingham Barons, during the 1999 season.
Hayden, a native of Paducah, Ky., is the son of Bernard and Cathy Hayden. He is married to the former Maria Angelini of Pittsburgh, Pa. The couple is expecting their first child in September.
