SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Slippery Rock University alumnus Ben Matos, who served as the athletic communication graduate assistant at SRU for the last two years, has accepted an assistant athletics director position at the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
 
Matos will begin his duties at the Division II school next Monday, July 22, where his title will be assistant athletics director for communications. He will be tasked with leading the communications efforts for UAM's 10 sports while also serving on the athletics leadership team.
 
"We're certainly not surprised to see Ben go from being a graduate assistant right to becoming the head of a Division II communications office," said Jon Holtz, SRU director of athletic communication. "Ben did a tremendous job for us and we're thrilled for him to have the opportunity to put his stamp on the communications office at UAM. We're certainly going to miss him."
 
Matos spent the majority of the last six years working in the athletic communication office at Slippery Rock, first as an undergraduate student-worker while he pursued his bachelor's degree in sport management. Following a full-time internship with the Indianapolis Indians, the AAA affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Matos returned to Slippery Rock in 2017 and spent the last two years as the athletic communication graduate assistant. He earned his master's degree in parks and conservation management in May.
 
While at Slippery Rock, Matos served as the primary communication contact for the men's and women's soccer teams and the softball team. He also became the voice of the Rock Athletics Digital Network, providing the play-by-play commentary for nearly all of the SRU video broadcasts over the last two years. Matos was honored with eight national awards during his two years as the graduate assistant and helped the athletic communication office earn a total of 50 awards during that span, more than any other office in the nation.
 
"I'm excited for this opportunity and I want to thank Padraic McMeel and the administration at UAM for trusting me to lead their communications office," said Matos. "I also want to thank Jon Holtz and Tyler McIntosh for their mentorship over the last six years. I couldn't have asked for two better professionals to learn from or a better office to start my career in."
 
Matos becomes the fifth consecutive SRU athletic communication graduate assistant to accept a full-time position in collegiate athletics upon completion of their master's degree.
 
The SRU athletic communication graduate assistant position has been filled by Ryan Sargent, who began his duties in the office in June. Sargent will oversee communications for the men's and women's soccer teams in the fall and the softball team in the spring.
 

 
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