Chris Cook

Chris Cook

A Parrothead.

Oh, and a PR and communications professional. I currently serve as the managing director of the Office of Communications and Marketing at Texas Tech University, where I have spent the last 16 years of my career.

In addition to coordinating strategic public relations and media efforts for the university, I also serve as the university's primary spokesperson and the emergency response team public information officer.

I also have the privilege of teaching in the College of Media & Communication at TTU, where I have taught courses in PR and sports media and PR since 2011. I took advantage of the university's employee tuition assistance program and earned a Master of Arts in Mass Communication/PR in 2012.

I first came to the university in 1999 as an associate director in the athletic communications office, where I coordinated media for the men's basketball and golf programs. In January 2001, I was promoted to associate director of athletics for communications and oversaw media efforts for the university's 17 NCAA sport programs, including closely working with football.

During my 11-year tenure in athletics, our office coordinated several successful promotional campaigns on behalf of student-athletes, including the award-winning Heisman campaign, PassorCatch2008.com, for football players Michael Crabtree and Graham Harrell.

I received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Louisiana Tech University in 1993, then moved onto sports information positions at Western Kentucky University and Saint Louis University, before arriving in Lubbock. Also, my tastes in music are diverse (heavy into '80s) and I am married to a rock star, Jennifer. We have eight-year-old future rock star, commedian son, Jack.