Trainor Helps Hogs Navigate Public Perception, Opinions

Kevin Trainor spent part of his first day on the University of Arkansas campus volunteering to work as a student intern within the athletic department’s sports information office.

Fast-forward more than 22 years, and Trainor still works for the athletic department. With a 10-month stint at the Southeastern Conference’s headquarters in Birmingham, Ala., the only interruption, Trainor has climbed from intern to associate athletic director.

“I’ve been in this business a long time and seen a lot of different things, and every situation is unique. … I’m never necessarily surprised anymore,” Trainor said.

Anyone who follows the Arkansas Razorbacks knows there’s rarely a shortage of interest and intrigue, if not downright drama, surrounding the program. In his role as associate athletic director for public relations, which he’s held since August 2010, Trainor is charged with helping the department navigate the waters of public opinion.

Most recently, that meant dealing with the fallout that came with former football coach Bobby Petrino’s scandalous departure. In those kinds of situations, Trainor said, “you have to be ready to jump into action and try to communicate with our fans and the media as transparently as possible, get them information as quickly — but as accurately — as you can.”

“It’s not always trying to wipe away all that has happened, but it’s trying to, in the end, protect the brand of the University of Arkansas and the program, and trying to diminish the impact of negative things while enhancing the impact of positive things,” Trainor added.

That’s a job that has become more complex over the years.

“In today’s environment of social media, it’s a different animal than it was when I first got in the business,” Trainor said.

During his 10 years as the UA’s sports information director, for example, answering a reporter’s question about a scoop or pending report within a couple of hours was considered timely.

“What’s happening now is those things are reported through social media and online before they even call you for a response,” Trainor said.

Such a scenario often puts the athletic department in a delicate situation.

“One of the challenges is being efficient and being quick with a response, but being accurate,” Trainor said. “The university does not have the luxury of being inaccurate or wrong with its information.

“If someone tweets something that’s incorrect, they can correct it. If someone writes something, they can write a correction. If the university is wrong — and we do make mistakes from time to time — it’s seen a little bit differently.

“At the end of the day, though, all of the attention, all of the talking — even if it’s not positive — it shows the passion that people have for our program. I never come to work worrying that people aren’t caring passionately about the Razorbacks.”

The good news is Trainor doesn’t deal exclusively with bad news. In addition to what he deemed “crisis communications,” Trainor also oversees public relations and strategic communications.

He was in charge, for example, of the department’s public relations plans for its master building plan and recent ticketing campaigns. He also uses his platform to tell the stories that don’t always make it into newspaper sports sections or nightly TV broadcasts.

Trainor said those stories — often about academic success or community involvement — are important to the donors who keep the department running.

“Those stories help paint the picture,” Trainor said. “When our contributors are giving to the program, they’re not just giving to [provide] equipment and things like that. They’re really providing us an opportunity to help people achieve academically, athletically and earn their college degree.”

Trainor has taken on some new duties since 2010, too. One of those is working as the sport administrator and event manager for the Razorback baseball team.

As such, Trainor serves essentially as a liaison between athletic director Jeff Long and the baseball team. His duties range from coordinating game-day operations to helping with the team’s budget, scheduling and travel.

Trainor, who lives in Fayetteville with his wife, Ruth, and two daughters, said his best advice for those still in college or newly graduated is to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by Northwest Arkansas’ long list of major entities.

“I think it’s just an exciting place to be for those looking for opportunities or avenues into just about any business,” he said.