Matt Riebe: The man behind the curtain of Viterbo Athletics
Some readers may not be aware of the role that the Sports Information Director (SID) occupies in a university’s athletics department, but that does not make the job any less important. At Viterbo, the position is held by Matt Riebe, now in his third year working for V-Hawks Athletics. According to Riebe, “Sports Information Directors typically handle all media relations, game statistics, social media, and, partly, marketing of athletic events,” noting that, “every athletic department assigns duties differently, and the workload may change significantly depending on the school.”
The path that led Riebe to his current position at Viterbo is short but varied. The Wisconsin Rapids, Wis. native attended college at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where he earned a degree in sports management in 2018. While in college, Riebe took many positions in different areas, such as a game statistic internship with the La Crosse Loggers and a media relations position with the Rochester Honkers. In the fall of 2017, Riebe became involved in helping at Viterbo University athletic events, becoming the SID in the spring of 2018.
“My general philosophy has always been to get as much experience as I possibly can” said Riebe, adding that “I never wanted to be discounted for a job because of lack of experience.”
At Viterbo, Riebe oversees all athletic home events, and his work typically revolves around the schedules of the 17 varsity sports that the university offers. At V-Hawk home events, Riebe oversees all gameday staff, and is tasked with updating statistics which will later be sent to each sport’s governing body.
When he is not preparing for gamedays, the SID has other activities to keep him busy. “On a typical day, I work on six different sports,” notes Riebe, “I could be putting together the softball schedule, writing a press release to announce a new recruit to women’s soccer, and processing game statistics for basketball all in a short period of time.”
When asked about what his favorite part of the job is, Riebe has little doubt. “Building relationships with student-athletes is truly special to me,” stated the SID. “Watching them perform both on and off the court or field gives me great joy.”