Jared MacDonald joined WKU in August 2023 and currently serves as the Associate Athletic Director for Strategic Communications and Media Relations. In addition to his leadership of the communications department, he is the primary media contact for the Athletic Department, Athletic Director, Football and Women's Tennis programs.
In his current role, MacDonald serves as the spokesperson for WKU Athletics and is responsible for overseeing strategic communications and media relations efforts of WKU Athletics and the Hilltopper Football program. He leads the planning and development of engaging multimedia content, manages press operations, coordinates interview logistics and builds relationships with local, regional and national media to support the growth of the WKU Athletics and WKU Football brand.
MacDonald is responsible for leading WKU Football external meetings, with the goal of bringing together groups across the WKU Athletics Department to successfully navigate the season.
During his first season overseeing communications efforts of the WKU Football program in 2023, the Hilltoppers generated $34.29 million in media exposure value, according to a study conducted by Nielsen. That amount was higher than the rest of Conference USA combined.
MacDonald has overseen the 2023 and 2024 Big Red uniform reveals for WKU Football, planning and executing a strategy to maximize media exposure for WKU and WKU Football. The 2023 release generated over $1 million in media exposure value, according to the Nielsen study, and although no study was conducted in 2024, the Big Red uniform reveal that season generated twice as many impressions on the original announcement post than that of the 2023 season. MacDonald worked with WKU's NIL/Student-Athlete Development staff to plan and implement the release of merchandise on The NIL Store both years to correlate with the uniform reveal. In the 2024 NIL Store Awards, WKU was awarded the School Activation of the Year for the project, and the 2025 release was again nominated for the best School Activation of the Year.
MacDonald also serves as the Executive Producer for the weekly television show, "Talkin' Tops." In this role, he plans content, sets up interviews and manages talent for the show, which consists of 32 episodes per season during the athletic year from August-May.
Prior to joining the staff at WKU, MacDonald spent several years in the journalism industry, including a stretch from 2019-22 at the Bowling Green Daily News, where his primary responsibility was covering WKU Athletics. Before returning to Bowling Green, he spent time working as the West Virginia University Athletics Content Coordinator for HD Media, a company that owns several newspapers in the Mountain State, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning Charleston Gazette-Mail and the Huntington Herald-Dispatch, among others. He has also worked as a sports reporter at The Ledger Independent in Maysville, Kentucky.
MacDonald was recognized for his work in the journalism industry on multiple occasions. He was twice awarded the Kentucky Press Association award for the Best Sports Feature Story (2019, 2022), won the KPA award for the Best Sports Page/Section (2022), was second for the KPA award for the Best Sports Special Section (2022) and received third place for the KPA award for the Best Use of Social Media or Multi-Media (2020).
MacDonald graduated from Lasell College in Newton, Massachusetts, in May 2016 with a bachelor's degree in communication, with concentrations in sports communication and radio/video production and a minor in coaching. During his time there, he contributed content to The 1851 Chronicle, the school newspaper, and 102.9 FM WLAS, the school radio station, in addition to his work as an intern at WHDH-TV in Boston, where he assisted in coverage of the Celtics and Bruins.
MacDonald is a native of Dexter, Maine, and currently resides in Bowling Green.
(Last updated Aug. 2025)
