Radford University Athletics has announced several promotions and additions to the staff for the 2022-23 school year, including the hiring of Christiansburg native Peyton Williams as a communications assistant.
The new staff additions will fill a variety of roles, including athletics communications, student-athlete support-services, marketing, and creative video.
Williams comes to Radford from Boone, N.C., where he served as the Assistant Director of Strategic Communications at Appalachian State. He was the primary media contact for the Mountaineers’ men’s basketball and softball programs while overseeing social media strategy for the Appalachian State athletics brand. In his role, he wrote press releases, created graphics, and managed social media output in conjunction with AppStateSports.com.
Williams also worked as an assistant with the National Sports Media Association. He has made previous stops at Wake Forest, King University, Virginia Tech, and Emory & Henry College, assisting primarily in broadcasting, athletics communications, sports information, and game operations.
Williams is a 2019 graduate of Emory & Henry where he earned his degree in mass communications and sport management. He also obtained an M.B.A. in project management from King University in May of 2021.
Allison McCoy has been promoted to RU’s athletics staff as the Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Support Services (Promotion).
McCoy is in her sixth year with Radford University, In her new position, she will oversee the day-to-day operations of the Learning Enhancement Center and develop programs that guide student progress through the academic curriculum while providing academic support to Radford’s student-athletes.
McCoy joined the athletics department in September 2019 after working as the Assistant Director for the Advising Center for Major Exploration at Radford University. Prior to her stint with Major Exploration, she spent two years as the Readmission Coordinator for the university. McCoy was a member of the Athletics Department Strategic Planning Task Force as an academic excellence subcommittee member. She has also served on numerous institutional committees, including the Academic Advising Communication Committee, as the chair.
A native of Charlottesville, McCoy completed her undergraduate degree at Radford University in 2011. She currently resides in Christiansburg.
Director of Student-Athlete Support Services Nikki Sellers joins the Highlanders after having spent the last seven years as a teacher at nearby Radford High School. Sellers taught social studies and served as the department chair while also serving as the Bobcats’ head girls’ varsity soccer coach for the past four years. Prior to her tenure at Radford, she taught social studies at Virginia Middle School in Bristol.
Sellers graduated from Emory & Henry University in 2011 where she played soccer for four years. She earned her bachelor’s degree in history-social science with a concentration in secondary education. A resident of Blacksburg, Sellers is working to earn a masters in sports administration from Ohio University where she plans to graduate in 2023.
Yasmin Turner-Ward joins Radford athletics as the assistant director of marketing and ticket sales after working as a marketing and promotions intern at Virginia Commonwealth University. She managed game-day activities for the Rams’ baseball and women’s lacrosse teams and assisted with the implementation of on-field promotions for baseball. She also spent two years as the general manager of CycleBar Greengate, a cycling studio in Richmond, managing the studio’s marketing campaigns and helping increase memberships.
Turner-Ward has an extensive background in sales and marketing, having served as a group sales and services intern with Major League Soccer’s D.C. United in 2020. She also interned with marketing and promotions at Old Dominion University, managing game-day activities for the Monarchs’ women’s lacrosse program.
A native of Richmond, Turner-Ward graduated from Old Dominion in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in sports management. She is currently studying at the University of Miami (Florida) and expects to earn a master’s degree in sports administration in 2023.
Brian Yohe comes to the New River City from Mercer University in Macon, Ga. as the director of video and creative services. At Mercer, he served as the Director of Creative Video Services where he scripted more than 70 ESPN+ broadcasts and oversaw the hiring, scheduling, and payroll for students and freelance employees. Prior to his time at Mercer, Yohe spent two years at UNC Asheville. As the Director of Live Productions, he planned, directed, and produced roughly 200 ESPN+ broadcasts while assisting with the shooting and editing of creative photos and video for social media.
Yohe graduated from Radford University in 2018, earning a degree in media studies with a concentration in production technology. During his time as a student, Yohe produced content for Radford Athletics on social media, in addition to working ESPN+ broadcasts.