Photo Courtesy of Susquehanna Athletics
By Natalie Dodson
Editor’s Note: This piece is the beginning of The Quill’s “Unsung Heroes” series, where we dive into the stories of the people who make SU athletics possible
The rise of social media has impacted every aspect of our lives — including athletics. It’s the reason why athletic programs like Susquehanna’s have begun to use the platform as a tool to bring in a larger audience.
Enter Daniel Graham. Graham was hired as the new director of athletic communications in February 2023, filling a position that was opened the previous fall.
Before arriving at Susquehanna, Graham spent the majority of 2022 as the associate director of athletics at The Citadel, one of the oldest military colleges in the United States. Prior to that, he was the first sports information director at SUNY Delhi.
Graham explains that while different requirements needed to be met at each institution, he enjoyed what experience he was able to receive at both.
“They never had an SID before,” Graham said of Delhi. “I was kind of the first of my kind there, and they were also transitioning to NCAA Division 3. I was there for four and a half years, and we built up.”
Graham said that every stop in his career has helped shape who he is today.
“Every experience or part of my journey has gotten me to this point,” he said. “I have been built up in pieces everywhere I have been. When I was an undergrad at Centenary University, I put my foot in the door with sports information. Over the course of my career, I’ve been at all levels, Division 3, 2, and 1. Each step I’ve had I have taken things with me.”
Graham is no stranger to the Keystone state. He served as a sports information graduate assistant at Edinboro while he was earning his master’s degree in communication studies; he also served as the statistician for the now-defunct Erie BayHawks during his time at the university.
Graham shares that he is glad to be back in Pennsylvania:. “When the opportunity came at Susquehanna University, it was an opportunity to get back to Pennsylvania because my career got started here when I was a grad assistant at Edinboro”.
Graham’s goals for his tenure at Susquehanna are to strengthen and re-establish the relationship with other programs on campus such as the sports media program. He intends to bring more student involvement into the athletic communications department.
“In today’s world…people are looking more at social media,” he said. “What can we do to showcase their talents.”
According to Graham, it is all about making national noise through the success of SU’s athletic programs.
“When our teams are making national noise, those are the kinds of things that put us along the likes of bigger Division 3 schools,” he said. S
Anybody interested in volunteering for athletic communications should reach out to Graham at grahamd@susqu.edu. No experience is needed.
