An inside look at one of the engines of URI Athletics
In her 16th year with the University of Rhode Island, assistant athletic director Jodi Pontbriand has transcended through all aspects of the athletic department.
At her position, Pontbriand serves as the communications liaison between the administration and the coaches and players, as well as internal and external media sources. In other words, she does it all.
She currently serves as the main contact for baseball, men’s soccer, women’s volleyball and golf. As such, everyday is different from the last.
Pontbriand can often be found coordinating interviews between student-athletes, coaches and media, creating content for GoRhody, while also maintaining game notes and assisting in event management on a day-to-day basis.
“We always joke that our job is other jobs assigned,” Pontbriand said. “We’re responsible for all the behind the scenes tasks like live statistics, scoring and press conferences.”
Joining the Rhode Island staff in the fall of 2006, Pontbriand has remained on the front line as the athletics department progressed throughout the years.
“When I first got here, laptops still had the cord connected to them,” Pontriband said. “Technology has really propelled the profession tremendously, and we constantly have to adapt with the times. We’re at the point where we are learning something new everyday.”
In recent years, social media has propelled athletic departments across the country. As assistant athletic director, Pontriband is in charge of the promotional social media content across all platforms.
While the job has many components, this is one aspect Pontriband can never get enough of.
“I really enjoy creative digital media and producing content for social media,” Pontbriand said. “While I think everyone who gets into this field can agree that game days are always fun, to be there with the teams and promote them is just as rewarding.”
For Division I athletics, the amount of responsibilities for both men and women’s programs can be an impossible task for one person alone.
As a result, Pontbrian works closely with fellow assistant athletic director Shane Donaldson and Coordinator of Media Relations Michaela Benford to complete the day to day responsibilities.
“Jodi is one of the smartest people I have ever met,” Donaldson said. “She is so incredibly talented in all aspects and can assess and simplify a situation so quickly. She’s one of the original media creators as she’s taught herself over the years. Her ability to take a blank canvas and make stunning visuals is just remarkable.”
The two assumed the position of assistant athletic director back in 2018, a role that compliments both their skill sets.
“Our skill sets are so opposite that they match perfectly,” Donaldson said. “She has that creative side, where my strength is writing and numbers. We’ve been working together for so long that we formed this well-oiled machine.”
Alongside Benford, the three work in unison to handle the daily responsibilities for Rhody athletics.
“We all trust and rely on each other, and we know we have our own strengths and weaknesses,” Benford said. “Shane is more numbers, I’m social media, and Jodi, well she’s just everything all in one. There’s things that she does for our programs, you don’t even notice she did them. You only notice unless she’s not there.”
While they may work together as a well-oiled machine, without Pontriband at the helm, Rhode Island athletics would not be the same.