NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Katy Lonergan and Sydney Sims will be joining the Notre Dame Athletics team in communication positions within Fighting Irish Media. Lonergan will serve as assistant athletics director (football communications), while Sims will hold the title of associate communications director (football social media & student-athlete branding). The pair will begin their roles during spring football practice.
Lonergan and Sims round out the Fighting Irish Media team that works daily with the football program. They join associate communications director Michael Scholl (football & championships), assistant communications director Claire Kramer (football, softball, swimming & diving), football producer Jon Cotton, art director Matt Taylor and graphic design & social media assistant Ian McFarland.
ABOUT KATY LONERGAN
Lonergan, who most recently served as the Director of Football Communications for the University of Kansas athletics department since 2011, will be charged with overseeing all aspects of day-to-day football media relations, strategic messaging and leading an internal content group.
In her nine seasons at Kansas, Lonergan worked directly with the coaching staff and student-athletes to portray the University in the best light. Additionally, she led editorial efforts with the ESPN+ program, Miles To Go, that followed the journey of national championship head coach Les Miles during his first season in Lawrence.
Prior to overseeing communications with Kansas football, Lonergan was the communications contact for Jayhawks women’s basketball and assisted with men’s basketball. Before joining her alma mater in 2007, she worked at Ole Miss with a variety of sports, including football, women’s basketball and track and field.
A native of Iola, Kansas, Lonergan completed her bachelor’s degree (Science Psychology) from the University of Kansas.
ABOUT SYDNEY SIMS
Sims joins the Fighting Irish team after two seasons with the United States Naval Academy. At Notre Dame, she will be tasked with developing and executing a social media strategy for the football program that puts the student-athlete experience at the heart of the message. Additionally, Sims will be using her skills as an on-camera reporter to provide fans an inside look at the University.
In her two-year stint in Annapolis, she oversaw the football program’s social media efforts and helped produce daily content as a producer. Her efforts led the Midshipmen to have one of the highest follower growth percentages in college football last season.
Hailing from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Sims graduated with her bachelor’s degree (Broadcast Journalism) from Youngstown State University and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in journalism.
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