Kayla McCloud was named the Director of Athletic Communications in October of 2022.
McCloud previously served as the Assistant Director of Athletic Communications for the 2021-2022 school year before being promoted to the director position. She returned to Concordia in the fall of 2021 after a brief stint at Illinois State University, where she was part of the social media efforts for multiple Redbird teams.
Prior to her time at Illinois State, McCloud spent three years as a student assistant in the athletic communications department. During that time, she played a key role in building the university's digital presence, producing high-impact videos and graphics that helped establish CUC's social identity. Notably, her content during the 2019 CUC Baseball postseason run garnered more than half a million views across Twitter and Instagram. Her work has been featured by multiple NCAA digital publications.
Since her return to CUC, McCloud has led a transformative growth in the department's digital reach, achieving over 400% growth on social media and a 30% increase in livestream viewership. She has also significantly increased overall content production and introduced more dynamic, engaging broadcast and graphic packages. In 2025, she directed the broadcasts for the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Baseball Tournament, producing a five-camera stream with on-screen graphics and post game interviews. The ten-game event generated more than 14,000 views on the Cougar Sports Network in three days.
Beyond media production, McCloud has contributed to the financial growth of the athletic department. She has played a key organizational role in fundraising events by helping to bring back the Cougar Classic Golf Outing and help secure additional sponsorship that support athletic initiatives.
In additional to her communications role, McCloud took on the position of Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) advisor in the summer of 2023. As a former SAAC executive board member and chair of the Mental Matters subcommittee during her undergraduate years, she has long been an advocate student-athlete well-being while promoting the importance of student-athletes taking care of their mental health.
A three-year member of the CUC women's basketball team, McCloud was known not just for her play on the court, but her leadership off of it.
McCloud graduated from Concordia University Chicago with a bachelor's degree in the spring of 2021.
