FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Kevin Trainor, who spent three decades with the University of Arkansas athletics department, has been named chief operating officer and associate executive director of the Arkansas Alumni Association.
The association announced the hiring Monday. Trainor, most recently senior associate athletic director for public relations, will stay with athletics until July 31 and begin his new role Aug. 1 ahead of the fall semester.
“I’m very excited about this position,” Trainor said. “It’s really an opportunity to continue to invest in the University of Arkansas and the relationships I’ve built over 30 years. I’m a two-time graduate and I know the University of Arkansas is flourishing, so to be able to be a part of that under chancellor Charles Robinson’s leadership was really a great opportunity for me.”
The move comes as the Arkansas athletics department undergoes major personnel changes.
About 10% of the department’s staff was recently laid off in response to financial pressures and college sports’ changing revenue landscape, according to athletics director Hunter Yurachek.
Trainor confirmed he was involved in the layoffs while serving as moderator at SEC Media Days in Atlanta, a position he has held for 14 years.
Brandy Cox, executive director of the Arkansas Alumni Association, said Trainor’s experience will benefit the organization.
“Kevin is a tremendous leader who brings integrity, vision and a wealth of experience to our team,” Cox said. “Like Kevin, I consider the University of Arkansas not just my alma mater, but my home. Our students and alumni are my family.”
Trainor said Cox and the association have supported his work moderating SEC Media Days, as well as his representation of Arkansas at the College Football Playoff national championship game and other national events.
A native of Fredonia, Kan., Trainor earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Arkansas in 1994 and a master’s in 2005.
He has served as sport administrator for Arkansas baseball for 15 years and is a member of the executive board of College Sports Communicators, for which he served as president. He also consults for the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee and is a member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association of America and the National College Baseball Writers Association.
Trainor’s family has deep ties to the university. His wife, Ruth, is a graduate, and their daughters, Emma and Ellie, are part of the Razorback community.
His brother, Kendall Trainor, is a University of Arkansas Hall of Honor inductee and was a first-team All-America kicker for the Razorbacks in 1988.
The Arkansas Alumni Association, which connects more than 120,000 alumni worldwide, described Trainor’s hiring as a “major step forward” as it adapts to changing university and alumni needs.
The university is facing a period of transition as it responds to new financial realities in college athletics and seeks to strengthen ties with graduates.
Trainor’s experience moderating SEC media days and managing complex communications challenges has made him a familiar face to Razorback fans and the broader college athletics community.
The alumni association, under Cox’s leadership since 2023, has expanded its outreach to young alumni and underrepresented groups, moving to a more inclusive membership model. Cox, a first-generation college graduate, said making every graduate feel valued is a priority.
Some fans and former staff have voiced concern about recent layoffs and the loss of long-serving employees. University officials have said the changes are necessary for the department’s long-term sustainability.
Trainor said his focus remains on building relationships and representing the university.
“I’ve been lucky to call this place home for 30 years,” he said. “Now I get to help others feel at home here, too.”
The Arkansas Alumni Association hopes Trainor’s experience and institutional knowledge will help engage alumni and support the university through its next chapter.
