EMU Associate Athletics Director for Media Relations Greg Steiner (left) works in the broadcast booth alongside Alex Jewell (BBA19), now director of athletic development at the University of Wyoming. (Photo by EMU Athletics)
An Education on the Sidelines
In addition to pro athletes, Eastern also develops sports information professionals
They’re not scoring runs, goals or touchdowns. You won’t even see them in uniform. But sports information professionals are just as important to their respective teams as the athletes. Without the expertise of media relations staff, photographers, designers and others, your favorite collegiate or pro team simply wouldn’t be able to connect with fans or garner media interest.
Colleges and universities often serve as training ground for sports information pros. And quite a few of these young, energetic and talented people got their chops by working as student assistants in EMU’s Athletics Department.
“Close to 30 students have come through our office [since the early 2000s] who are now working at the professional or NCAA levels,” says Greg Steiner (BA03), EMU associate athletics director for media relations. Steiner himself began working in the department as a student assistant. “It’s a point of pride for us at Eastern.”
Andrew Mascharka oversees photography for 24 sports teams—and more than a dozen student interns—at Indiana University. (Photo courtesy of Andrew Mascharka)
Andrew Mascharka – capturing history
For Andrew Mascharka (BS19), director of photography with Indiana University Athletics, his job is about capturing history during unpredictable moments.
“Our big sports rival is Purdue,” says Andrew, who earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from EMU. “In one particular basketball game against them, the outcome came down to a last-second shot. It was a game-winner and the students rushed the court. During those instances, I have to be as locked-in and focused as possible. Remain cool under pressure and be prepared for any eventuality. That’s the beauty of sports and the beauty of my job.”
Andrew oversees 24 sports teams at Indiana, with a primary focus on football and men’s basketball.
“It’s impossible to devote my time to all our teams,” he says. “But we have a solid student internship program. Overseeing that is a big portion of my duties. We had seven interns when I started [in October 2021] and we’ve since nearly doubled the program.”
Mascharka learned his craft under the tutelage of his father, Randy Mascharka, who was the university photographer for Eastern. (Photo courtesy of Andrew Mascharka)
Andrew’s interest in sports photography began in middle school when he started shooting videos of a skateboarding pal. In high school, he took sports photos for the yearbook. He also gained from the experience of his father, Randy Mascharka, who was the university photographer for Eastern.
“I was in dad’s office at least twice a week to talk photography,” Andrew says. “I went on shoots with him to see how he handled his assignments. He taught me by example.”
For three years, Andrew took sports photos from the “Eastern Echo.” During his junior year, he expressed an interest in working with EMU Athletics and approached Greg Steiner.
“I wanted to grow so I reached out to see if there were any opportunities,” Andrew says. “They didn’t have anyone in-house, so Greg said ‘let’s see what you can do.’ I began doing marketing shoots and learned on the fly. I also created a photo archiving system from the ground up.”
When Eastern’s football team competed in the 2016 Bahamas Bowl, the athletics department brought Andrew with them for photo and video shoots.
“The trust Eastern put in me to capture their first bowl game since 1987 was huge,” Andrew says. “They gave me a lot of responsibility. I was still a college student and they were very patient with me. Greg’s mentorship was incredible. He never made working feel like a job. I impart 100 percent of the things I learned at Eastern to my interns at Indiana.”
After graduating, Andrew had photography internships with MLB’s Minnesota Twins and Cleveland Indians before completing a one-year internship with Indiana University. After moving back to Michigan for a 21-game contract with the Detroit Tigers, he learned about the opening for his current job.
“There really isn’t a typical work day,” Andrew says. “Sometimes, I have 65-hour weeks, but during the summer it’s more like 40 hours. The prime sports months are hard to predict. I’m still figuring things out but the job is manageable.”
Managing a personal life can also be tricky in Andrew’s role. He met his wife while they both interned for the Twins. They married in August 2022 but put off their honeymoon since Indiana’s football camp was starting.
“Achieving a work-life balance can be difficult, but my wife understands the sports world,” Andrew says. “People also think it’s great that I have a front-row seat for sports events. But since I’m so focused on being in the right spot to get the best shot, I often can’t tell you what happened during the game.
“Working in sports is very cool, as is capturing historic moments. Building our internship program is also very rewarding. I really enjoy watching students grow and getting them on the right path to achieve their dreams.”
“[Eastern] gave me a lot of responsibility … I impart 100 percent of the things I learned at Eastern to my interns at Indiana.”
Andrew Mascharka
Through all the front office turnover, Dan Murphy has remained with the Cleveland Browns’ media relations department for more than 16 seasons. (Photo courtesy of Dan Murphy)
Dan Murphy – a survivor’s story
Athletes come; athletes go. So do the front office staff of pro sports franchises.
From that standpoint, Dan Murphy (MS07) is a survivor.
Dan recently completed his 16th season with the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, which has had two winning seasons during that span. That’s resulted in a lot of turnover among players, coaches—and the media relations department.
“On two occasions, the Browns let everyone in my department go except me,” says Dan, who rose from an internship with the team in 2008 to his present job as director of football communications in 2020. “I’ve had a great opportunity to learn something different from a lot of people.”
That’s not to say his work hasn’t otherwise been rewarding. Dan is among the fortunate few in pro sports who works for the team he rooted for as a kid.
“It’s rare to land a dream job with your hometown team,” says Dan, who grew up in nearby Perry, Ohio and earned a master’s in sports management from Eastern.
Dan leads all Browns communications and media efforts. That calls for adaptability—particularly during the regular season.
“I set up all the press conferences, player and coach interviews, press releases, the media guide, the news and notes info,” Dan says. “I help formulate our media plan for the day—who’s going to have a positive message about the previous game or the upcoming game. The calendar is what regiments my days, whether we’re in-season or off-season.
“Organizational skills are key. You try to make a plan as detailed and as far out as possible. At the same time, you have to be flexible and ready for whatever comes your way.”
Dan played football at Hiram College in Ohio, where he majored in communications. Like Andrew Mascharka, Dan followed in his father’s footsteps when considering his career options.
As a graduate student assistant at Eastern, Murphy was in charge of media relations for the swimming, rowing and softball teams. (Photo courtesy of Dan Murphy)
“Dad was the sports editor at “The News-Herald” [of greater Cleveland] and I went to lots of games with him as a kid,” Dan says. “I remember sitting around his office while he was writing stories. When I was at Hiram, our sports information director was looking for people to write game recaps. That intrigued me, so I began working in the sports information office when I wasn’t playing football.
“After graduating, I knew I didn’t have a shot to advance in football. My boss at Hiram connected me with [former EMU Sports Information Director] Jim Streeter. I enrolled at Eastern and Jim hired me as a graduate assistant.”
In addition to helping with EMU football and basketball, Dan was in charge of sports information for the swimming, rowing and softball teams.
“Jim and Greg [Steiner] gave me lots of freedom to learn and grow without micromanaging,” Dan says. “There was some direction, of course. But they allowed me to do what I thought was best. I not only gained a lot of experience but also a sense of accomplishment. My two years at Eastern built a foundation that helped me land a job in the NFL.”
Dan also acknowledges his job’s drawbacks—working weekends and holidays, missing family events, being away from his wife and two little girls. But his experiences at Eastern helped him learn to adjust to that lifestyle.
“Working late nights during basketball season gave me that baseline understanding,” Dan says. “My wife has also been great about it.”
Dan says a personal highlight at Eastern was working with the softball team when it won its first Mid-American Conference West Division championship in 2007. With the Browns, he particularly enjoyed working with former offensive tackle Joe Thomas, who was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2023. Thomas mentioned Dan in his induction speech, referencing the help he provided throughout his football career.
“I watched Joe grow from a rookie doing his first media interviews into a hall-of-fame player,” Dan says. “Today, he’s working in the media as an analyst for the NFL Network. Seeing that progression has been very gratifying.”
“Organizational skills are key. You try to make a plan as detailed and as far out as possible. At the same time, you have to be flexible and ready for whatever comes your way.”
Dan Murphy
Ashley Strauss left her job with the San Diego Padres in 2018 to become creative director with the Detroit Lions. (Photo courtesy of Ashley Strauss)
Ashley Strauss – exploring the art of sports
Ashley Strauss (BFA08, MS12) has been fortunate to combine two lifelong passions in her career: art and sports.
“My dad and uncle both played college football, and there are lots of athletes in our family,” says Ashley, who grew up in Trenton. “I’ve been playing sports since I was 5 or 6. At the same time, I was really interested in art—sketching and drawing, making things with Legos and Play-Doh. I was either playing backyard football or creating stuff.”
These days, Ashley expresses herself creatively on a computer as creative director for the Detroit Lions. Like Murphy, she’s landed a dream job with the hometown team.
“I oversee our creative team, which includes the graphic designers and photographers,” Ashley says. “Our department is like an in-house design agency. We work closely with our marketing department. They come up with various campaigns and storytelling concepts; we take those ideas and figure out how they will look. If you see a Lions or Ford Field design through an official channel, our department had a hand in it in some way.”
Ashley also blended her love for sports and art at Eastern. While earning her undergraduate degree in graphic design, she played first base for the softball team and was a member of the 2007 MAC Tournament championship team.
Strauss and her team of designers work on prominent marketing campaigns such as “All Grit” for the NFL’s Detroit Lions. (Photo courtesy of the Detroit Lions)
“After earning my design degree, I wasn’t sure how to cultivate it for my career,” Ashley says. “I coached softball at EMU for two years. Then Greg Steiner offered me a graduate assistant position. I was the sports information director for cross country, swimming and softball. I also helped out with basketball, football and volleyball. Around that time, I realized there were opportunities to work as a designer in the sports industry.”
As a student-athlete, Ashley says she picked up skills that have helped her more than she realized at the time.
“I learned how to communicate with my softball teammates as well as how to handle stress and pressure,” she says. “In the workplace, you have to communicate with different personality types and understand that you’re no bigger than anyone else.
“My EMU professors were open and honest about my design skills. They helped prepare me to strategically sell my ideas. And both Greg Steiner and Jim Streeter gave me the opportunity to handle many aspects of the job for a variety of sports—from writing game notes and stories to compiling stats. My years at Eastern helped put me on the path to where I am today.”
After earning her master’s degree in sports management, Ashley worked as director of publications for Indiana University before moving on to Mississippi State, followed by the NFL’s Tennessee Titans and MLB’s San Diego Padres.
“I was with the Padres when the Lions posted the creative director job,” she says. “I jumped on it. I really love the pageantry of football. Every game is such a big production and is so impactful.”
While earning her undergraduate degree in graphic design, Strauss played first base for Eastern’s softball team and was a member of the 2007 MAC Tournament championship winners. (Photo courtesy of Ashley Strauss)
Ashley works fairly regular hours during the NFL off-season, but things change once the pre-season kicks off.
“The cadence changes,” Ashley says. “In football, things can go one way or another, and you have to make adjustments for that. I really enjoy that aspect of the job because things never get stale or redundant. It makes for a more exciting workday.”
Ashley also says the Lions have a culture that is open and receptive to her ideas.
“I’ve had a very positive experience as a woman working here,” she says. “Mentors have given me a seat at the table and allowed me to share my opinions. I consider myself fortunate in that regard, because I know of women in other sports environments who have faced hurdles.”
Fertile training ground
So, what accounts for the high number of former EMU athletics student assistants that have advanced to the collegiate and pro levels?
“We pride ourselves on allowing students to come in and complete duties on their own,” says Greg Steiner, who began his student assistantship with EMU Athletics as a sophomore while earning his marketing degree. “That allows them to learn things they might not otherwise in a larger athletic department.”
As with Mascharka, Murphy and Strauss, Greg gained valuable on-the-job experience that allowed him to advance. His first assignment was cutting clips of EMU sports stories from a stack of newspapers.
“I must have done OK,” Greg says. “Then I began working with the cross-country teams and kept getting promoted. As someone who had always embraced technology, I created and hand-coded our first athletics website before we hired an external provider. After graduating, Jim Streeter hired me as assistant director. He put a lot of trust in me early on.
“We continue to put that level of trust in our student assistants. One of the things I enjoy most about my job is watching a student assistant progress through the learning curve to produce great work. We spend lots of late nights helping them. We’re exceptionally proud of the students who have passed through here to become sports information professionals.”
By Jeff Samoray