ST. JOSEPH, Mo. — All roads lead home.
 
Missouri Western State University Director of Athletics Andy Carter has announced the hiring of Ryan Menley as senior associate athletic director for external relations.
 
Menley is a familiar face to Griffon Athletics, having served as the department's director of creative content from 2010 to 2022. In his new role, he will oversee marketing, communications and content. He will also serve as the primary contact for the Gold Coat Victory Fund.
 
"The chance to return to Griffon Nation in this particular position is an absolute honor," Menley said. "It's a humbling opportunity, especially when you consider the character of the people who came before."
 
"Excited is an understatement," Carter said. "Ryan is a gifted and talented storyteller. His ability to communicate and grow the Griffon brand in various ways makes his return to St. Joseph a huge win for us. His love for and dedication to Missouri Western State University and Griffon Athletics makes this homecoming a special one."
 
Menley returns to Missouri Western after spending the last two years as associate athletic director of external operations at the University of Tennessee at Martin, an NCAA Division I institution in Martin, Tennessee. At UTM, he oversaw sports information, ESPN + broadcasting, creative content and athletics branding. He also served as the coordinator for special events, such as the Athletics Hall of Fame and the university's annual awards show.
 
"I want to thank UTM Vice Chancellor Kurt McGuffin and the UTM staff who welcomed me to Martin with open arms and who made my job so enjoyable, which made this decision incredibly difficult. But Missouri Western is home," Menley said. "The people in and around Griffon Athletics are family. I am appreciative to Andy Carter for providing me with the opportunity to return to a place I love."
 
A St. Louis, Missouri, native, Menley called St. Joseph home for 20 years and covered Missouri Western Athletics for the entirety of those two decades. An Emmy award-winning journalist, he was the sports director for KQTV, the ABC affiliate in St. Joseph, from 2002-2010. Upon joining MWSU in 2010, he created the university's innovative athletic video production department from scratch. His "Griffon Sports Insider" brand included in-depth highlights, commercials and feature stories. At the time, the department was one of the first of its kind at the NCAA Division II level.
 
Menley oversaw the development of video board production and live broadcasts while also wearing multiple hats at Missouri Western. He was an adjunct professor in the university's department of communications and also a co-advisor for MWSU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, helping raise thousands of dollars for community service projects. In the span of seven years, Menley won six National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators (NACMA) awards. He was the 2020-21 Service to the University Award winner at Missouri Western and was also the university's SOAR Advisor of the Year that same year.
 
"I have a deep appreciation for our history. Our athletic department and sports teams are riding a wave of momentum in the present. When tied together, it lights the way toward a bright future. Our job in external relations is to engage and ignite. We will communicate by collaboration. We will celebrate our success with passion. And we will tell our collective story with authenticity."
 
Menley will begin his duties on March 1.