The Southern Miss Department of Athletics recently announced the appointment of Leah Williams as Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing. Williams, a two-time graduate of Southern Miss, began her new role immediately.
“I grew up with Southern Miss Athletics and am a proud two-time alumna, so I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to return and help lead the marketing efforts of the university that has been home to me for so long,” Williams said.
Williams outlined her role as overseeing marketing and fan experience efforts within Southern Miss Athletics, enhancing the Southern Miss brand, and assisting with licensing for both the university and its athletics programs.
“I had a lot of excitement and pride when first offered the job,” Williams said. “Being a two-time alumna and growing up with the University of Southern Mississippi, it felt like coming home.”
She returns to Southern Miss after spending three years at Kennesaw State University (KSU). She started there as a Marketing Assistant before being promoted to Assistant Director of Marketing and Fan Experience in June 2023.
During her time at KSU, Williams served as the in-game producer and show-caller for football, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, and baseball. She played a key role in managing KSU’s top two football attendances, including the highest-ever attendance of 11,040 as the university transitioned into the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). She also oversaw the highest football student attendance during the 2023 season.
Williams’ responsibilities at KSU also included supporting the university’s transition to the Eloqua email marketing system and creating segmented e-newsletters for all ticketed sports. Additionally, she served on the branding committee for KSU’s move to Conference USA and the NCAA FBS Subdivision. She contributed to the implementation of the SIDEARM mobile application and FanMaker Rewards system, as well as the planning for a baseball stadium renovation project.
Before joining KSU, Williams worked as a marketing manager in the private sector from November 2020 to October 2021. She also served as an events assistant at the Alabama Sports Council in Birmingham in early 2020.
During her time at Southern Miss, Williams was a graduate assistant in the Sports Management department and a sports marketing game day intern. In 2018, she completed a summer internship with the Mississippi Braves, a Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.
Williams holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration-Marketing (2017) and a Master of Science in Sport Management (2019), both from Southern Miss.
“I am really looking forward to giving back to a university that has given me so much in the past,” Williams said. “Being able to return to help bolster Southern Miss Athletics is an amazing opportunity. I know the vision and goals we are looking to achieve, and I’m dedicated to doing my part to reach them.”
Williams added, “I’m excited to get started, work with everyone in the Southern Miss community and help take Southern Miss to the top.”
