Ole Miss Athletics Adds New Staff Hire as Associate Athletics Director for Marketing

OXFORD, Miss. -- Ole Miss Athletics added to its external leadership with the hiring of Josh Bender as Associate Athletics Director for Marketing & Fan Engagement, as announced Thursday by Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics Keith Carter.

Bender arrives in Oxford after three years as Assistant A.D. at Boise State. His career also includes two years of athletics marketing leadership at his alma mater Northern Iowa.

"We're excited to welcome Josh's energy, perspective and work ethic to our marketing team and administrative unit," Carter said. "He brings great experience from his previous institutions at driving fan engagement, and we look forward to seeing his influence on our gameday experience."

"It's truly an honor to join Ole Miss Athletics, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to lead such a talented marketing team," Bender said.

"I can't wait to serve Rebel Nation and help build on the incredible momentum taking place here."

At Boise State, Bender directed marketing strategy and gameday execution for all 18 varsity sports with an emphasis on driving revenue, attendance and fan experience.

He also served as program administrator for the spirit squads, which included a national champion dance team.

The nationally-ranked Bronco football program established new attendance records and increased season ticket numbers in each of Bender's three years as marketing director.

The men's basketball team also boasted three straight seasons with its highest attendance in 20 years, while the women's basketball, gymnastics, volleyball, soccer and softball squads all saw attendance and revenue boosts.

Bender implemented a multi-platform advertising approach that included ROI tracking and unique links to ensure effectiveness.

He managed relationships with more than 30 advertising and trade partners for BSU and helped secure agreements with a minimum 125 percent return on trade value.

Bender's term in Boise featured the relaunch of a kids club program that doubled its membership in the first year.

The Broncos' social media also enjoyed growth with his influence, increasing Instagram impressions by 128 percent and Twitter/X followers by 38 percent.

Bender began his career as a student intern in Northern Iowa's athletics marketing office in 2015 and worked his way up to department head by February 2019.

In addition to managing the marketing operation and staffing for every sport, he executed numerous special events, including the Panther Caravan, NCAA postseason competition in football and volleyball, and conference championships in wrestling and track & field.

He also oversaw licensing, spirit squads, the mobile app and email marketing, while helping develop creative vision for graphic design, video and social media.

During Bender's tenure, UNI experienced an overall department increase in both revenue and attendance for the first time in five years.

Notably among the sports, Wrestling grew in revenue by 72.6 percent, attendance by 45.2 percent and season ticket holders by 33.5 percent, while Women's Basketball jumped 74.6 percent in revenue and 57.6 percent in student attendance.

A native of Solon, Iowa, Bender earned his bachelor's degree in marketing from UNI in 2018 and added a master's in 2020. He and his wife Kayla share a son, Peyton.