VERMILLION, S.D. – University of South Dakota Associate Athletic Director Jarren Duffy is excited to announce the hiring of Steve Carlson as the Assistant Athletic Director for Communications for USD Athletics. 

"Steve possesses a diverse skill set, intense work ethic, and creative mindset," said Duffy. "We're excited to get him to Vermillion and hit the ground running with the external team." 

Carlson comes to USD from Black Hills State University where he was the Assistant Athletic Director for Communications. While at BHSU, Carlson oversaw the communication efforts for all Yellowjacket athletic teams. 

Prior to his time at Black Hills State, Carlson was the Director of Athletic Communications at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. While there, he oversaw all athletic communication efforts for the athletic department. In the 2022-23 season, Carlson was awarded the best game notes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) by his peers, awarded by the NAIA-Sports Information Directors Association (SIDA). 

A native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Carlson earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sport Administration from Simpson College in 2019 and a Master of Arts in Sport and Recreation Management from the University of Iowa in 2021. As a student at Simpson, Carlson served as the student-manager for the baseball team and as a student-assistant in the athletic communications office. While earning his master's degree at Iowa, Carlson served as the first-ever graduate assistant at the American Rivers Conference (A-R-C), an NCAA Division III conference consisting of institutions in the states of Iowa and Nebraska. 

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