Derrick Blyberg

Bio

Derrick Blyberg ('12) assumed his role with Taylor University's Sports Information staff prior to the 2025–2026 academic year, bringing extensive experience spanning more than a decade at the NCAA Division I and II levels.

Blyberg's career trajectory began as a student intern at TU and has since included progressive leadership roles throughout the athletic communications industry, complemented by his work as a freelance statistician and sports photographer.

Prior to joining TU's staff, Blyberg served as an assistant director at Loyola University Chicago during the Ramblers' inaugural season in the Atlantic 10 Conference. He served as the primary communications contact for multiple high-achieving programs, including the A-10 tournament qualifier women's basketball team, the A-10 tournament runner-up men's soccer program, and the A-10 regular season and conference tournament champion women's volleyball team that advanced to the NCAA tournament. He also managed communications for the nationally ranked men's volleyball program.

During his tenure at Loyola, Blyberg successfully promoted numerous individual and team achievements, most notably leading the coverage efforts for All-American soccer player Billy Hency, who was selected by Chicago Fire FC in the third round (67th overall) of the 2022 Major League Soccer (MLS) SuperDraft.

At NCAA Division II member Purdue University Northwest, Blyberg served as Assistant Athletic Director for Communications, overseeing media relations for 20 varsity programs and leading the department's digital marketing strategy as a member of the athletics administration team. His responsibilities included serving as media host for the 2021 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Men's and Women's Basketball Tournament, which was uniquely hosted simultaneously across both PNW campuses. He also coordinated media efforts for the 2022 GLIAC Baseball Tournament at The Steel Yard in Gary, Indiana.

Notably, Blyberg promoted several record-setting achievements, including the recognition of All-American baseball player Chad Patrick, who made history as the first Division II player selected in the fourth round of the 2021 MLB Draft. Patrick made his MLB debut with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2025.

Blyberg's five-year tenure at Urbana University began in 2015 as Sports Information Director before his promotion to Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Communications in 2017. His work promoting the 19-team Athletic Department was recognized with the Urbana University Core Value Award for "Excellence" in 2018. During his time at UU, Blyberg successfully promoted numerous Blue Knights student-athletes, coaches, and teams for awards, including the regionally-ranked football program and All-American women's basketball player Tyra James. His innovative approach to content creation resulted in viral highlight clips across football, soccer, and volleyball that garnered attention from major global media outlets, including ESPN and Yahoo.

Beyond his primary responsibilities, Blyberg contributed to UU's institutional governance through committee service and held the position of NCAA Division II Atlantic Region Chair for the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). He served as media host for Urbana's first-ever NCAA Championship event during the men's soccer team's historic postseason run in 2016 and volunteered his expertise at neighboring institutions, including coverage of the First Four NCAA Men's Basketball Championship games at the University of Dayton.

Blyberg's foundational communications experience was gained through positions held at Middle Tennessee State University and the University of Toledo. At MTSU, he provided coverage for the Conference USA champion women's golf team that advanced to the NCAA tournament, while supporting the men's basketball and baseball programs. His tenure at Toledo encompassed coverage of multiple successful programs, including the Mid-American Conference champion women's cross country team, and he contributed to football program communications during their 2012 Famous Idaho Potato Bowl appearance under head coach Matt Campbell.

A Cincinnati, Ohio native, Blyberg earned his degree in sport management from Taylor University. He is married to Kate Blyberg, also a Taylor University alumna, who serves as an assistant marketing professor at the university.