Bryn Mangold is a five-year member of the women’s basketball team and a two-time Otterbein graduate. She managed to combine everything she learned at Otterbein — Sport Management and Public Relations as an undergraduate and Business Administration as a graduate student — into one job that encompasses all of her interests.  

We caught up with her to learn more about this unicorn job. 

Bryn Mangold 
Assistant Commissioner, Ohio Athletic Conference
Undergraduate Degree: Bachelor of Arts in in Sport Management, Public Relations (2021) 
Graduate Degree: Master of Business Administration (2023) 

Tell us about your career journey after graduation.  

After graduating from Otterbein in May of 2021 with my bachelor’s degree, I started my master’s degree right away and continued my basketball career for a fifth season. During that year, I moved from an intern role to a part time role as a media relations and communications assistant for the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA).  

In August of 2022, I began my first full-time job as assistant commissioner of the Ohio Athletic Conference, which is based in Columbus. The OAC’s 10 member schools (Baldwin Wallace, Capital, Heidelberg, John Carroll, Marietta, Mount Union, Muskingum, Ohio Northern, Otterbein, and Wilmington) compete in 21 varsity sports in the NCAA’s Division III. My position was created through the NCAA Ethnic Minorities and Women’s Grant, which aims to enhance minority and gender representation in entry-level athletics administrative positions.  

I am heading into my second year with the OAC, and just finished my MBA this summer. In my role as assistant commissioner, I create content and promote our member school’s athletics programs via social media and the conference website. I also work the conference championships, lead the conference Student-Athlete-Advisory Committee, work with external partners, and more. 

What activities were you involved in as a student at Otterbein?  

• Women’s Basketball (five years). 
• Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). 
• Interned with the Otterbein Athletics and Sports Information departments. 
• Member of Sport Management Club (public relations/communications director for two years). 
• OTTERTHON Executive Board (public relations chair for two years). 
• Member of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).

How did Otterbein prepare you for your career?  

I had amazing professors and mentors throughout my time at Otterbein. My professors really cared about me and showed me different careers that aligned with my passions and helped me on the path to get there. We often had Otterbein graduates visit our classes to share their experiences, and I was able to network with them and gain mentors right away. I was also able to attend different professional and collegiate sporting events across the state and connect with Otterbein graduates working in the sports industry thanks to one of my Public Relations instructors, Dan Steinberg. The classes in the Sport Management and Public Relations programs were full of hands-on projects and real-life learning that emulated things we could be doing in our careers after college. Many of the things I learned in both in the undergraduate and graduate programs I have taken and incorporated into jobs I have had thus far. 

What is your favorite campus tradition?  

The Homecoming and Family Weekend parade and football game, getting Schneider’s donuts and walking around Uptown Westerville, getting to watch other Otterbein student-athletes compete in their sports. 

What is your career advice for current students?  

Get involved as much as you can once you get on campus! Join clubs, go to career fairs, get involved in networking events and mentorship programs.  

Be engaged in class and really get to know your professors, as they are an asset to you and can help you find your career path based on your passions and skills.  

Always be willing to say yes and try out new things. You may know what career path you want to take, but there is still so much to learn! My first internship wasn’t in the sports industry, but it helped me figure out what I don’t want to do, and still gave me great experience with public relations, marketing, and social media. 

How have you been involved with Otterbein since graduating?  

I have been invited go back to the Sport Management classes at Otterbein and speak on alumni panels to talk about my journey at Otterbein and how I used all of the resources on campus to get to where I am today! 

Working in the OAC has also been a great way for me to stay connected to Otterbein and the conference I was a student-athlete in for five years. It is truly a perfect first job for me since I am already so familiar with the conference and many of the people in it.