MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Southern States Athletic Conference announced the hiring of Walker McCrary as assistant commissioner. McCrary will begin his duties with the conference on Aug. 3.
 
McCrary has earned multiple honors throughout his athletics communications career, including being named 2016-17 Appalachian Athletic Conference SID of the Year while at Truett McConnell and receiving the 2026 USCAA Garth Pleasant Honorary Administrator of the Year award while at The Apprentice School. He also helped lead North Georgia to 2018-19 Peach Belt Conference Sports Information Staff of the Year honors.
 
McCrary most recently served as assistant athletic director for communications at The Apprentice School, where he was the primary media contact for the school’s seven intercollegiate athletic programs. He previously spent five years as athletic communications coordinator at the University of North Georgia and served as director of athletic marketing and communications at Truett McConnell University. Throughout his career, McCrary has worked in sports information, championship event management, broadcasting, website administration, social media and athletic administration.
 
They Said It
 
Walker McCrary, SSAC Assistant Commissioner: "I am honored to be joining the Southern States Athletic Conference. I want to thank Mike Hall and Matthew Hicks for allowing me to join their team, and I can't wait to jump in and be a part of one of the NAIA's premier conferences."
 
Mike Hall, SSAC Commissioner: “Walker brings a wealth of experience to the SSAC and will be a great asset to our office and member institutions. We are excited to welcome him to the conference and look forward to the impact he will have in promoting our student-athletes, supporting our championships and helping continue the growth of the SSAC.”
 
Matthew Hicks, SSAC Senior Associate Commissioner: “We are excited for Walker to join our team. His award-winning experience as a sports information director will make him a valuable resource for our member school sports information directors, and he'll bring new ideas on how we can continue promoting our student-athletes and elevating our championships.”
 
Additional Info

• McCrary brings vast experience in writing, social media management, website administration, video production, broadcasting, statistics and championship event operations.
• Promoted five national championships, 68 All-Americans and 51 Academic All-Americans at The Apprentice School.
• Served as Tournament Director for two New South Athletic Conference basketball championships and worked on tournament staffs for multiple USCAA National Championships, including roles in play-by-play and official statistics.
• Served as Media Relations Director and/or Tournament Manager for Peach Belt Conference Championships, NCAA Division II Regionals and Super Regionals, and the 2022 NCAA Division II Women’s Golf National Championship.
• Oversaw a complete rebrand of the University’s logos and website at Truett McConnell.
• Primary broadcaster and/or executive producer for 100+ Nighthawk Sports Network broadcasts per year while at North Georgia.
• Served on USCAA Ratings & Selections Committee, USCAA Division I Women’s Basketball and Baseball Ranking Committees and the USCAA Division I Women’s Basketball and Baseball All-American Selection Committees while at The Apprentice School.