WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. - The Williams College Department of Physical Education, Athletics, and Recreation announced on Wednesday that Rick Bender, an athletic communications professional with more than 25 years of experience in the field, has been named the department's new Director of Athletic Communications.
Bender, who began his career at Davidson College, spent more than 15 years at Dartmouth College, and most recently served as Knox College's first full-time athletic communications director, will begin at Williams in mid-April.
"I am pleased to welcome Rick Bender to our department, and excited for him to begin his work with our student-athletes, coaches, and staff," said Lisa Melendy, Williams' Director of Physical Education, Athletics, and Recreation. "With a proven track record of excellence and a specialized focus on the student-athlete experience within a liberal arts context, Rick is uniquely positioned to lead our communications department as we enter the next chapter. We are incredibly fortunate to have Rick's expertise at the helm."
"I want to thank Lisa Melendy and the hiring committee for putting their faith in me to lead athletics communications at Williams College," said Bender. "I have spent my career at prestigious liberal arts colleges, and I am honored and thrilled to serve the student-athletes of this exceptional institution while building upon the legacy of my predecessor, Dick Quinn. My family and I are excited about moving back to New England and immersing ourselves in the college and community."
Bender has spent a quarter century leading athletics communications offices, most recently as the Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications and Marketing at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill. His first roles in sports information were at his alma mater, Davidson College (1996-2007), followed by positions at Dartmouth (2008-24).
Bender began at Dartmouth as the Director of Varsity of Athletics Communications before earning a promotion in 2022 to Senior Associate Athletics Director for Varsity Athletics Communications. He oversaw the communications efforts for the Big Green's 35 Division I varsity sports, including the DartmouthSports.com web site, video streaming and media relations. In addition, he served as the contact for football, men's basketball, baseball, men's and women's golf, and skiing.
Bender's story, "The Curious Son of Sidd Finch," won the District I award for story with a video in the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Fred Stabley Sr. Writing Contest in 2019. The following year, Bender, along with two of his staff members, received the national award for the best Special Event Program, University Division, for the Dartmouth football game program at Yankee Stadium. In 2023, he was honored with the 25-Year Award from the CSC for a quarter century in the profession, and in June won the District I Award in the Social Justice/Diversity category for his story on the Big Green's first black women's golfer in 40 years.
Hired as an assistant sports information director in the fall of 1996 at Davidson College, Bender was promoted to the director's position after three years, managing the communications efforts for the Wildcats' 21 Division I varsity sports. During his eight years as the director, he served as the Co-Media Coordinator for the 1999 and 2000 Men's College Cup, as well as the Media Coordinator for the 2005 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament First- and Second-Round games in Charlotte, North Carolina.
A 1993 graduate of Davidson with a degree in mathematics, Bender was a three-time all-conference shortstop for the Wildcats' baseball team and was inducted into the Davidson Athletics Hall of Fame in January 2024. He spent four summers playing independent professional baseball in the Frontier and Texas-Louisiana Leagues for the Portsmouth (Ohio) Explorers, Beaumont (Texas) Bullfrogs and Alexandria (Louisiana) Aces. Bender also served as an assistant coach at his alma mater for three years before moving into the sports information department.
A veteran official scorer at baseball games, Bender presided over the Southern Conference Baseball Tournaments in 2005, '07 and '08, and has worked as an official scorer at the AA and AAA minor league levels for the Birmingham Barons and the Charlotte Knights.Â
Bender, born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois, and his wife of 27 years, Mitze, have a son, Jake (22), dog Gus, and three cats, Uhtred, Rosa and Little Britches.
