Brad Radice has been named director of media relations at Samford University effective July 11.

Radice, a 1999 Samford graduate, has been sports director for WIAT-TV, the CBS affiliate in Birmingham. He began work at the station in 2000 recently was named Alabama sports anchor of the year by the Associated Press.

"It was a fantastic 11-year run with CBS 42 but when the opportunity arose to use my creativity at Samford University I couldn't resist,” Radice said. “My family is extremely excited to join the Bulldog family and spread the word about a school I so dearly love."

At Samford, Radice will lead a newly-created team in the office of marketing and communication that will cultivate and maintain contacts with external media, coordinate the university’s social media efforts, produce video news releases for the university and provide other editorial support. For the past two years, Radice had volunteered as on-air host for "The Samford Chronicle," a monthly video newsmagazine produced by the university.

“Brad brings a great passion for his alma mater to this new role,” said Philip Poole, Samford’s executive director of marketing and communication. “As Brad and I have developed both a professional and personal friendship over the last few years, I realized that he was just the right person for this job. The university will benefit from extensive experience in broadcast media to help tell the Samford story in creative ways in the increasingly diverse media world.”