MACOMB, Ill. – Western Illinois University Athletics is excited to announce the hiring of Jhon Garcia as the new Assistant Athletic Director of Athletic Communication.

In his role as Assistant Athletic Director of Athletic Communication, Garcia will oversee all aspects of athletic communications for the Leathernecks, including media relations, statistical reporting, press releases, game notes, and digital storytelling. He will work closely with coaches, student-athletes, and campus partners to enhance the visibility and brand of WIU Athletics across multiple platforms.

Garcia arrives in Macomb with experience in collegiate athletic communications and sports marketing. Most recently, he served as an Athletic Communications Assistant for the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC), where he supported conference-wide communications efforts, assisted with media coverage and worked to promote student-athletes and programs across multiple sports and institutions.

Before his role with the NWAC, Garcia served as a Sports Marketing Coordinator at Brigham Young University–Idaho, where he contributed to marketing strategies, digital content creation, and game-day promotions for BYU–Idaho Sports. During his time there he grew the social media following by 280%. His role included supporting social media initiatives, student engagement efforts, and branding across several campus recreation programs.

Garcia earned his degree from Brigham Young University–Idaho, where he studied communications with an emphasis in public relations.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity to join Western Illinois University and be part of the Leatherneck family," Garcia said. "I'm excited to work with our student-athletes, coaches, and staff to tell their stories and continue building the Leatherneck brand."

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