OTTAWA, Kan. – Ottawa University Director of Athletics Phil McClintock has announced the hiring of Malia McIver as the Braves' Director of Gameday and Media.
McIver joins Ottawa after serving in multiple athletic communications, operations, and development roles at Friends University, where she gained extensive experience managing game-day operations, athletic communications, media relations, social media strategy, and fundraising initiatives. During her time with the Falcons, she worked with more than 24 varsity sports while helping coordinate over 100 home athletic events and traveling to more than 50 road competitions to oversee live statistics and media operations.
"We are very excited to add Malia to our Athletic Department staff," said McClintock. "I was able to work with her directly at Friends and her work ethic is second to none. Malia will be doing both game day and media at Ottawa and I can't wait to see how she elevates the department in both areas"
As Friends University's Graduate Assistant Sports Information Director, McIver produced game notes, press releases, and recaps while maintaining athletic records and website content. She also coordinated photographers, broadcasters, statisticians, and media personnel for home contests, including NAIA postseason events, and managed replay production for basketball tournaments.
In addition to her communications responsibilities, McIver served as the Graduate Assistant Social Media Content Coordinator, where she increased social media engagement and follower growth by 200 percent through strategic content planning. She produced more than 500 pieces of digital content, supervised a team of undergraduate assistants, and coordinated media days and photoshoots for all athletic programs.
McIver also gained valuable experience in athletic operations, assisting with game-day management for numerous collegiate championship events while overseeing venue setup, team logistics, officials' coordination, and overall event execution. She also served as Graduate Assistant with the Director of Development, where she planned and executed major fundraising events, strengthened donor and community engagement, developed sponsorship initiatives, and supported donor relations to help advance the university's athletic programs.
"I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join Ottawa University and become part of the Braves family," said McIver. "I'm excited to work alongside an outstanding athletics staff and help showcase the accomplishments of our student-athletes while creating a first-class game-day experience. I look forward to building relationships across campus and contributing to the continued success of Ottawa Athletics."
McIver earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a minor in Biblical Studies from Arizona Christian University, graduating cum laude. She also completed a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Change Management and a Master of Science in Strategic Leadership from Friends University.
