Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech Athletics has announced the hiring of Kyle Bruce to the department as Assistant Athletic Director for Digital Marketing Strategy & Ecosystem.
"We have long admired the work of Kyle, and that of teams he's been on, and are excited to have him join us at Virginia Tech," Lauren Belisle, Associate Athletics Director for Marketing and Fan Engagement. "His previous work experience and accomplishments certainly made him a great fit on paper, but we were even more impressed by who he is as a person. In the athletics marketing world, we would certainly call him a 5-star recruit. We believe in him, just as he believes in us, and we know he will make us better in our marketing efforts across our owned, earned and paid digital channels."
Bruce comes to Virginia Tech after serving as the Director of Digital Strategy at the University of Washington for nearly three years. While with the Huskies, Bruce was responsible for the department's digital presence across web and social media. He was part of a marketing department that received national recognition for its efforts, twice finishing as a finalist for the NACMA Marketing Team of the Year award. His work with Washington's digital sales team also resulted in national honors, collecting the Breakthrough Innovator award from Paciolan in 2019. Bruce steered the department through a website redesign built around increased alignment between communications, marketing, and revenue generation, and helped activate a number of innovative tactics designed to generate more leads and grow the UW's fan database.
"We continue to evaluate areas for growth within our fan-facing units," said Brad Wurthman, Senior Associate Director of Athletics for External Operations. "Kyle comes highly recommended by many and brings a great track record to our program. Continuing to evolve our department is important as we build on a great foundation to plan for future success."
"It's clear to me that Virginia Tech is a special place fueled by ingenuity, passion, and collaboration, and I couldn't be more humbled and honored to be joining Hokie Nation," Bruce said. "I'd like to thank the Hokies for entrusting me with this tremendous opportunity to serve the great student-athletes, coaches, and fans of Virginia Tech. I would also like to thank the amazing people at the University of Washington for investing in me and preparing me for this next chapter. I'm excited to get to work."
Prior to his time at Washington, Bruce had stints in various digital and marketing roles at Iowa State, Northern Arizona, and Eastern Washington.
Bruce spent three years at Eastern Washington University, initially serving in the communications office before being promoted to Director of Marketing for Digital Strategy. His responsibilities included management of the department's digital ecosystem including web, social media, email marketing, and digital advertising.
Bruce is a 2011 graduate of Western Oregon University in business administration, where he served as a student assistant in the sports information office. He earned a Master's degree in sports sciences from the University of the Pacific in 2013. While at Pacific, Bruce worked as a graduate assistant in the media relations office.