Colorado University Athletics
CU's Harrison Accepts Position At Wyoming; Buffs Football Adds Social Media Coordinator
April 20, 2018 | Football, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Persistence has paid off for Colorado football strength and conditioning intern Will Harrison.
Harrison, who left a full-time job in the business world to take an unpaid position on Drew Wilson's staff in January 2017, has accepted a full-time position at Wyoming, where he will work with the Cowboys' football program.
Friday was his last day at Colorado.
"When I played college ball, I loved the weight room and the atmosphere," said Harrison, who was a walk-on wide receiver at Clemson. "Being in the weight room is a unique opportunity because you are working with 105 guys on a daily basis. You aren't around just one position or one group. It's a unique opportunity to get to know each kid and work with them and build a relationship with them and earn their trust."
Harrison's only "connection" to strength and conditioning came from his time as a player at Clemson.
"He came in, kept his head down and did everything we asked him to do and he did it professionally," Wilson said. "He asked a lot of questions because he wanted to know how to do it right and he just worked his tail off every day. … Free Muscle Milk, Gatorade shakes and some meals — that's what he got paid. But he never deterred from what his goal was, to be a part of a program and help kids. He did a great job here, he did a great job in the interview and he got offered the job."
Harrison worked in the industrial distribution business for four years after graduating from Clemson in 2012. But always in the back of his mind was the thought that he wanted to get back into the world of athletics.
"The longer I was away from it, the more I missed it," he said. "Finally, my wife and I decided if we were ever going to try it, we had to do it now. Liz has been unbelievably supportive through the whole process. I just tried to be consistent, come in and work hard every day and learn as much as I could."
The Buffs are in the midst of their second strength and conditioning session of the spring. When they learned that Friday was the last day, both the offense and defense "treated" Harrison to a dip in the cold pool.
"I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity," Harrison said of his time at CU. "Coach Wilson and the staff here have been awesome, incredible to work with. But the best part of the job is the guys. Getting to know every single kid, working with them day in and day out and building relationships is the best part. It's really why I do it."
Football Adds Full-Time Social Media Director
Colorado football has joined a growing number of programs around the nation by adding a full-time social media director to the staff.
Maggie Still, a 2013 CU grad and former assistant sports information director with the Buffs, is now Colorado football's first full-time social media coordinator.
"Obviously, social media is a big part of college athletics in general and football in particular," CU director of football operations Bryan McGinnis said. "We knew it was imperative that we stay at the forefront of that development. The addition of a full-time social media coordinator gives us the opportunity to engage with our potential student athletes on platforms where they are comfortable, and it also helps us continue to reach out to our fan base in places where they are getting their information on a regular basis."
Still worked as a student assistant in the Buffs' SID office prior to her 2013 graduation, then worked in the digital/SID departments at Nebraska and Oklahoma before returning to CU in January 2017.
Her duties now include formulating a social media strategy that covers day-to-day recruiting efforts, content production (graphics, photography and video), and fan engagement on all social media platforms.
"I enjoy the world of social media, I have always loved college athletics, and I see huge opportunities in the convergence of those worlds," Still said. "It's a way to share Colorado football with fans 24/7. It doesn't just end in December or January. Our goal is to make sure we have Colorado football front and center on a year-round basis."
Still also helps Buffs coaches and players with personal branding and social media skills.
"No doubt recruiting is a big part of it, but it's also a benefit to our coaching staff and current players," McGinnis said. "The presence of a social media coordinator helps us be aware of best practices on all the platforms out there. It is also a way that helps keep us abreast of technological developments that will continue to help us spread the word of Colorado football on a year-round basis."
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu