Todd Kober, assistant sports information director at Rice University for the past year, is returning to his roots at Illinois State as director of media relations.
The native of Fulton, Ill., spent five years in the Illinois State Athletics Media Relations office and is succeeding his former boss, Kenny Mossman, who left earlier this month for a similar position at Oklahoma. Kober begins Aug. 29 at Illinois State.
Perk Weisenburger, Illinois States athletics director, believes Kober is the best choice to succeed Mossman.
Todd has exceptional technical and web site skills, said Weisenburger. In addition, we are pleased to be able to attract someone with his creativity, experience, excellent work ethic and overall passion for Illinois State.
Kober began his athletics media relations career as a student at Illinois State in 1995. He earned a graduate assistantship two years later and was hired as assistant director of media relations in 1998. During his time at Illinois State, Kober was directly involved in publicizing and promoting all 19 Redbird sports, with primary responsibilities for baseball and track and field, plus serving as Mossmans primary assistant for football and mens basketball.
In addition to his work with sports, Kobers technological and graphic arts talents helped him play a key creative role in the Redbird web site as well as specialized publications supporting the athletics department. Those efforts made him a major factor in creative services and development of Illinois States web site while playing a key creative role in publications for marketing, development and special events.
Kobers work at Illinois State included three national publications awards from College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), developing a new logo for The Redbird Club, establishing on-line support for the departments e-commerce site (The Redbird Shop), editing game day programs for football and mens basketball, and editing the Birds-I-Views newsletter for members of The Redbird Club.
In his one year at Rice, Kober developed and executed a promotional campaign Got Wilks for Rice all-America basketball candidate Mike Wilks. He served as media director for the 2000 Toys for Tots College Basketball Challenge Doubleheader in Houston, the 2001 NCAA Baseball Regional at Rice, and also assisted in media relations for the 2001 NCAA Womens Final Four in St. Louis.
At Illinois State, Kober will lead a staff which includes three full-timers, three graduate assistants and 8-10 undergraduate interns. He is excited about returning to his alma mater.
It is great to have the opportunity to come back to Illinois State and once again be a member of the Redbird family, said Kober. Im a product of the system there, so its a special place for me. I want to continue the legacy that Kenny brought to that department and to, hopefully, improve upon it.
Kober appreciates Illinois States championship tradition.
At Illinois State, you always have a chance to be part of a winning effort, said Kober. The media relations office also has a history of success in publications and other areas. I look forward to working with the quality staff in the media relations office, and the great people throughout the athletics department.
Weisenburger believes Kober can enhance an operation which already has earned a good reputation.
His knowledge of our media relations operation and desire to improve an already-outstanding aspect of our overall department excited our entire staff, said Weisenburger. He is well-respected by his peers and the media in the area and will hit the ground running. He is a Redbird and were glad to have Todd and his wife, Susan, back at Illinois State.
Kober has both a bachelors degree (public relations) and a masters degree (sports management) from Illinois State, both earned during his five years in the athletics media relations office. Todd and his wife, the former Susan Mulder, were married in 1994.
Todd Kober Profile
Assistant Sports Information Director, Rice University, 2000-2001.
Assistant Director of Media Relations, Illinois State, 1998-2000.
Graduate Assistant in Media Relations, Illinois State, 1997-98.
Undergraduate Intern in Media Relations, Illinois State, 1995-97.
Part-time sports reporter, Bloomington Daily Pantagraph, 1995-98.
M.S., Physical Education (Sports Management), Illinois State, 1999.
B.S., Public Relations, Illinois State, 1997.
Associates Degree, Accounting, Morton College, Cicero, Ill., 1993.
Married to the former Susan Mulder.
