Associate Athletic Director for Communications
Email: ddonnelly@tusculum.edu
Direct Line: 423-636-7326
Campus Phone: 5326
Campus Mail: P.O. 5054
Office: Rankin 200
Department: Athletics
Campus or Site Location: Greeneville
Dom Donnelly is in his 26th year as Associate Athletic Director for Communications at Tusculum University. The Louisville, Kentucky native is responsible for all sports information needs of Tusculum’s 23 intercollegiate sports. Donnelly has over 30 years of sports information experience at both NCAA Division I and II levels.
The Athletic Communications office is in charge of all aspects of publicity for the Tusculum Athletics Department. Athletic Communications oversees all department publications, maintaining the athletic web site (www.TusculumPioneers.com), social media platforms, and coordinates staffing for game day operations for home athletic contests.
Donnelly serves as the primary media contact for baseball, football, men’s and women’s golf, and men’s basketball.
The TU Athletic Communications team was named the inaugural recipient of the South Atlantic Conference Media Relations Staff of the Year Award during the 2019-2020 season.
He joined the Pioneer staff in June 1999 after serving as Assistant Sports Information Director at Elon University. While at the Elon, North Carolina school, Donnelly served as the primary media contact for Elon’s seven women’s sports, while also assisting with all 14 NCAA Division I sports offered.
From 1997-1999, Donnelly oversaw the sports information operation at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Prior to that, he served as SID at South Atlantic Conference member Lenoir-Rhyne University for two seasons. While at LR, Donnelly also served as media director for the NCHSAA Western Regional Basketball Tournament.
Donnelly began his Athletic Communications career at Georgia College where he served as Assistant SID and men’s golf coach. While at the Milledgeville, Georgia school, he led the Bobcats to an 88-44 record and finished third in the Peach Belt Conference, the best league finish in the program’s history to that date. He also served as media/tournament director of the NCAA Division II District Tournament in 1992.
Donnelly, a Western Kentucky University graduate, has worked several national events including the NCAA II women’s basketball regional and the 2001 NCAA II Women’s Golf National Championship. In 2002, he served as media director of the inaugural NCAA II South Regional Women’s Golf Championship, hosted by Tusculum. He also served as media director for the NJCAA Division III Baseball World Series from 2017-2023.
He is a member of the College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA), National Collegiate Baseball Writers of America (NCBWA), the United States Basketball Writers Association and the Football Writers Association of America. He served on the CSC Academic All-America® Selection Committee from 2001-2023, including 10 years as national coordinator for women’s volleyball, women’s at-large programs, women’s cross country and track & field for NCAA Divisions I and II.
Donnelly served as chairman of the South Atlantic Conference Sports Information Directors Committee from 2005-2007 and is in his second term in that role since 2021. He served 12 years as Southeast Region Chair for the Gene Upshaw Award, which recognizes the NCAA Division II Football Lineman of the Year. Donnelly was a member of the national advisory committee for the Harlon Hill Trophy, honoring the NCAA II College Football Player of the Year. He previously served on the national ranking committee for D2Football.com and the NCBWA Division II Baseball Poll. He is in his 15th year as chairman of the Tusculum Sports Hall of Fame Committee. From 2018-2021, he served as the Southeast Region representative for D2SIDA.
In 2009, Donnelly was the recipient of the Tusculum Sports Benefactor Award. He was also the 2022 recipient of the David Riggins Service Award, which is presented by the South Atlantic Conference.
He is a member of the Knights of Columbus and is a board member of Christian Self Help, Inc.
He is an avid golfer and fan of the Tusculum Pioneers, Cincinnati Reds, Carolina Hurricanes and Tennessee Titans. His travels have led to him visiting historic sports venues including Augusta National Golf Club, St. Andrews Golf Club in Scotland, Pebble Beach Golf Club, Wrigley Field, Fenway Park and the parking lot which was Crosley Field, the home of the Cincinnati Reds.