University of Houston Athletics
Cougar Pride to Energize Activity This Fall
7/26/2021 4:51:00 PM | General
New engagement model dedicated to building connectivity and expanding the UH support base
HOUSTON – The University of Houston Athletics Department continues to increase its focus on revenue generation with the expansion of its fundraising arm, Cougar Pride.
The revamped athletics development office will pair a new name – Cougar Pride Athletic Fund – with new staff, strategic programming rooted in unique, exclusive experiences and widely expanded engagement.
Over the past three months, Cougar Pride has added two new senior officers with a third position to be filled this month.
Drake Sacenti, formerly the Director of Annual Giving for the Nevada Wolf Pack Athletics Association, started with Cougar Pride as Associate AD for Development on July 14. Sacenti will concentrate on a new push to take UH to the top of the American Athletic Conference in donor participation.
Tyla Kelly, who most recently served as Director of Corporate Sales and Clients with Houston Baptist Sports Properties for HBU Athletics, begins a new Cougar Pride role as Director of Development Programs and Donor Relations on July 18.
"Resources have never been more important." University of Houston Vice President for Athletics Chris Pezman said, "Consequently, we are building a best-practice development operation to fund championship success today and into the future. The time is now to expand our competitive edge with Cougar Pride at the forefront of this mission."
Sacenti and Young join Kelly Marchbanks, another recent hire, who is responsible for customer analytics and business development.
Two new junior officers have also been added, with Cougar Pride welcoming former Cougar Basketball standout Landon Goesling, who is charged with elevating events and outreach.
A major gifts officer will be added in the coming weeks to round out the Cougar Pride team that also includes veteran fundraisers John Noud (Associate AD for Development) and Katina Jackson (Senior Associate AD for Special Projects).
"Athletics is the front door to the University of Houston," notes UH System Vice Chancellor Eloise Dunn Brice," and the impact of Athletics success touches every corner of our campus. To invest in athletics development, therefore, is to invest in the continued rise of the UH one of the nation's premier public research institutions."
In addition to new faces, Cougar Pride has significantly expanded its programmatic offerings, starting with Cougar Pride Live. This first-of-its-kind initiative will provide a suite of engaging experiences to strengthen connectivity between the membership and the UH Athletics Department.
Cougar Pride Live will also include the weekly coaches radio shows, beginning with the Dana Holgorsen Show this fall and continuing into the winter with the Kelvin Sampson Show. A full schedule for each radio show will be available prior to the start of the 2021-22 season.
Starting in September, a new Cougar Pride Live Tailgate - a partnership with Houston-based Tailgate USA - will be offered exclusively to Cougar Pride members at the Varsity Level and above prior to each home football game.
Additionally, Cougar Pride members will be issued an e-membership card this fall – the Cougar Pride Passport – that can be used to score Cougar Pride Participation Points by attending athletics competitions and Cougar Pride events.
"Recent changes reflect our commitment to fulfilling Chris' championship standard for UH Athletics," said Senior Associate Athletics Director and Chief Development Officer John Gladchuk. "We could not be more excited about the new faces in our Cougar Pride office. The new programming will honor the feedback we received in our survey. Our members spoke clearly and we are responding."
To learn more about Cougar Pride Live and to keep up on emerging opportunities for Cougar Pride members, please continue to visit UHCougarPride.com or follow Cougar Pride on Twitter and Instagram.
The revamped athletics development office will pair a new name – Cougar Pride Athletic Fund – with new staff, strategic programming rooted in unique, exclusive experiences and widely expanded engagement.
Over the past three months, Cougar Pride has added two new senior officers with a third position to be filled this month.
Drake Sacenti, formerly the Director of Annual Giving for the Nevada Wolf Pack Athletics Association, started with Cougar Pride as Associate AD for Development on July 14. Sacenti will concentrate on a new push to take UH to the top of the American Athletic Conference in donor participation.
Tyla Kelly, who most recently served as Director of Corporate Sales and Clients with Houston Baptist Sports Properties for HBU Athletics, begins a new Cougar Pride role as Director of Development Programs and Donor Relations on July 18.
"Resources have never been more important." University of Houston Vice President for Athletics Chris Pezman said, "Consequently, we are building a best-practice development operation to fund championship success today and into the future. The time is now to expand our competitive edge with Cougar Pride at the forefront of this mission."
Sacenti and Young join Kelly Marchbanks, another recent hire, who is responsible for customer analytics and business development.
Two new junior officers have also been added, with Cougar Pride welcoming former Cougar Basketball standout Landon Goesling, who is charged with elevating events and outreach.
A major gifts officer will be added in the coming weeks to round out the Cougar Pride team that also includes veteran fundraisers John Noud (Associate AD for Development) and Katina Jackson (Senior Associate AD for Special Projects).
"Athletics is the front door to the University of Houston," notes UH System Vice Chancellor Eloise Dunn Brice," and the impact of Athletics success touches every corner of our campus. To invest in athletics development, therefore, is to invest in the continued rise of the UH one of the nation's premier public research institutions."
In addition to new faces, Cougar Pride has significantly expanded its programmatic offerings, starting with Cougar Pride Live. This first-of-its-kind initiative will provide a suite of engaging experiences to strengthen connectivity between the membership and the UH Athletics Department.
Cougar Pride Live will also include the weekly coaches radio shows, beginning with the Dana Holgorsen Show this fall and continuing into the winter with the Kelvin Sampson Show. A full schedule for each radio show will be available prior to the start of the 2021-22 season.
Starting in September, a new Cougar Pride Live Tailgate - a partnership with Houston-based Tailgate USA - will be offered exclusively to Cougar Pride members at the Varsity Level and above prior to each home football game.
Additionally, Cougar Pride members will be issued an e-membership card this fall – the Cougar Pride Passport – that can be used to score Cougar Pride Participation Points by attending athletics competitions and Cougar Pride events.
"Recent changes reflect our commitment to fulfilling Chris' championship standard for UH Athletics," said Senior Associate Athletics Director and Chief Development Officer John Gladchuk. "We could not be more excited about the new faces in our Cougar Pride office. The new programming will honor the feedback we received in our survey. Our members spoke clearly and we are responding."
To learn more about Cougar Pride Live and to keep up on emerging opportunities for Cougar Pride members, please continue to visit UHCougarPride.com or follow Cougar Pride on Twitter and Instagram.
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