Razorback AD Hunter Yurachek announces reshuffled administrative office

First-year University of Arkansas athletic director (AD) Hunter Yurachek announced Thursday (July 26) a number of administrative changes in the Razorbacks athletic department.

The most notable personnel moves are the promotions of staff members Julie Cromer Peoples, Jon Fagg and Clayton Hamilton to Yurachek’s director’s cabinet with the title of deputy AD.

Cromer Peoples will be deputy AD for external engagement and administration and oversee external units including communications, broadcast services, ticket sales, revenue generation, marketing and licensing. She also serves as the football and women’s golf sport administrator.

Cromer Peoples was named interim AD following the firing of Jeff Long this past November, and held the job until Yurachek was hired from the University of Houston the following month.

As the deputy AD for student-athlete experience, Fagg will oversee the areas of academic services, student-athlete development, compliance, sports medicine, sports nutrition, strength and conditioning and sports psychology. Fagg is also the sport administrator for men’s basketball and soccer.

Hamilton, deputy AD for internal engagement, finance and capital projects, will continue to serve as the department’s chief financial officer and have administrative oversight of various areas including finance, business operations, human resources, IT, ticket operations, event operations, facilities and maintenance. He also is the sport administrator for both the men’s and women’s tennis programs.

Long-time Razorback administrators Chris Pohl and Kevin Trainor were elevated to senior associate athletics directors, according to the release. In addition to her previous roles in event management and as the sport administrator for gymnastics and softball, Pohl will oversee a newly created unit focused on enhancing guest experiences at all Razorback events. Trainor will continue to lead the department’s public relations efforts, in addition to his duties as the baseball sport administrator.

Joining Pohl (guest experience and event management) and Trainor (public relations) on the senior staff are fellow senior associates Chris Freet (revenue generation and communications), Derita Ratcliffe (student-athlete experience) and Matt Trantham (capital projects, facility maintenance, grounds and equipment). Freet added sport oversight of volleyball while Ratcliffe (women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country and track and field) and Trantham (men’s golf) will maintain their sport administrator duties.

The University of Arkansas System also announced Matt McCoy has been named as senior associate general counsel for athletics. McCoy is part of the Office of the General Counsel and works closely with athletic department. He is an advising member of the department’s senior staff.

Several other members of the department’s leadership team also received promotions. Felecia Saine was named associate AD for academics. Saine had previously served as the director of academics. Aaron Parris was promoted to associate AD for premium seat services and guest experience. Julie Cain was promoted to assistant AD for event management. Will Landreth was promoted to assistant AD for compliance. Andrew Roberts was promoted to assistant AD for finance and reporting. Heather England has been named director of premium seat services.

The department has also filled two existing positions that were previously vacated. Lacy Needham has joined the athletic department from Texas State University and will serve as the assistant AD for business operations. Mike Cawood joins Arkansas as the associate director of communications, working with men’s basketball and men’s golf. He is the nephew of former University of Arkansas sports information director and longtime NCAA administrator, the late Dave Cawood.