When he needed a new director of athletics communications and digital media, Kelly Wells didn’t have to look very far.
The director of athletics named Rick Bentley to the position. Bentley has spent the last 27 years at the school, the first 17 of which saw him in the very similar position of sports information director and assistant athletics director.
“I am beyond thrilled to have Rick Bentley back with Athletics in the Director of Sports Communication role,” Wells said. “His wealth of institutional knowledge and love for this wonderful university is unmatched. Rick will be a very positive influencer on the trajectory of UPIKE Athletics as we move forward.
“Rick has his fingerprints all over Pikeville College and UPIKE Athletics and it is only fitting to have him back directing Sports Communication and impacting the past, current, and future Bears,” said Wells.
Bentley will wrap up a 10-year career as assistant professor of sport management in the university’s Coleman College of Business in May and has already begun working in his new position.
“This is a golden opportunity that I couldn’t say no to,” said Bentley. “The most exciting part for me will be partnering with Kelly Wells, who has been a friend of mine since before he became our coach. I’m old enough to have covered Coach Wells when he was a player at Rowan County and at Morehead State.
“I’m really excited to work for someone I have complete trust in.”
Rick Bentley has spent the last 35 years covering sports on the local, regional, state and national scene. In May 1989, two weeks after graduating from Pikeville College with a degree in Business Administration emphasizing management, he was hired as sports editor of the Appalachian News-Express in Pikeville.
After spending six and a half years in that position, he spent eight months in the furniture industry before accepting the position of sports information director at Pikeville College. In his time in athletics, the department grew from six sports to more than 20.
Among the highlights of that time was the beginning of football at the school, two USBC national championships in women’s bowling and the 2011 NAIA Division I men’s basketball national championship. On the basketball title game, Bentley was the play-by-play announcer on the local radio broadcast.