Tony Venegas Named Gardner-Webb Assistant Athletic Director of Strategic Communication
September 17, 2026 | General
Venegas brings extensive athletics communications experience at the collegiate and professional levels
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. — Tony Venegas has been named the new Assistant Athletic Director of Strategic Communications for Gardner-Webb University Athletics as announced by Vice President and Director of Athletics Brendan Fahey on Thursday, September 17.
"We are excited to welcome Tony to the Runnin' Bulldogs family," said Fahey, "His passion for the student-athlete experience and his extensive past experiences make him a huge addition to our department."
Venegas joins the Runnin' Bulldogs following five years as the Director of Athletics Communications at Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, N.C., where he served as the primary media contact for multiple NCAA sports while overseeing statistics, historical records, game-day operations, award nominations and relationships with media and conference offices.
"I am incredibly excited for the opportunity to join Gardner-Webb University and become a part of the Runnin' Bulldogs family," said Venegas. "I am grateful for everything I have learned and the relationships I have built throughout my career. I look forward to bringing those experiences to Gardner-Webb and working alongside our student-athletes, coaches and staff to tell the stories of Runnin' Bulldogs athletics."
During his time at Belmont Abbey, Venegas served as the primary communications contact for baseball, women's basketball, soccer, golf, tennis, acrobatics & tumbling, women's lacrosse and field hockey. He also served on several regional and national committees, including the D2CSC Women's Basketball Southeast Regional Poll, NCBWA Southeast Regional Rankings, NCATA Awards Committee and CSC Inclusion Committee.
During Venegas' time, he was part of the Belmont Abbey Athletics Communications staff that was recognized as the Conference Carolinas Athletic Communications Staff of the Year.
In addition to his collegiate athletics experience, Venegas has worked on game-day communications staffs for both the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC.
Prior to Belmont Abbey, Venegas spent more than three years as a sports reporter for the Odessa American in Odessa, Texas. During his time with the paper, he was the beat writer for Odessa High School football while also providing coverage variety of sports throughout West Texas.
Venegas began his career in journalism and media working in his hometown of El Paso, Texas, in a variety of editorial and broadcast roles. His experience includes serving as an editor and reporter for TexasHSFootball.com and as a radio reporter for 600 ESPN El Paso's Football Friday Night. He also spent time as the Assistant Sports Editor for the Herald Democrat, in Sherman, Texas.
Venegas graduated from The Ohio State University in 2014, earning a Bachelor of Science in Sport Industry with a minor in Media and Society as well as Bachelor of Arts in International Studies. He earned a Master of Arts in Mass Communication from Arizona State University in 2015.
