Joe Danahey is a veteran athletics communications professional with more than 30 years of experience leading NCAA Division II sports information, media relations, and strategic communications efforts. He currently serves as Senior Communications Specialist at Stan State, where he oversees the promotion and publicity of 14 intercollegiate athletic programs. His responsibilities include writing game previews, recaps, and feature stories; developing digital and promotional content; coordinating media relations for coaches and student-athletes; and producing the department's weekly athletics communications.
Throughout his career, Danahey has earned a reputation for compelling storytelling, collaborative leadership, and excellence in game-day operations. His expertise spans media relations, public relations, writing, publishing, digital communications, live event production, statistics, and strategic communications. He has worked extensively with athletic administrators, conference offices, media representatives, coaches, student-athletes, and opposing institutions to enhance the visibility of collegiate athletics programs.
Danahey has held communications leadership positions at several NCAA Division II institutions, including Saint Joseph's College (Ind.), San Francisco State University, Concordia University Portland, Cal Poly Humboldt, and Stan State. He served as Sports Information Director at San Francisco State for nearly 15 years, directing communications and media relations for multiple sports while supervising full-time staff, graduate assistants, student employees, and game-day personnel.
His career responsibilities have included managing social media strategy and audience growth, producing live streaming and broadcast content, coordinating press conferences, designing media guides and promotional materials, directing comprehensive game-day operations, and leading athletic department Hall of Fame initiatives. He has also developed and managed weekly and monthly athletics newsletters at multiple institutions.
Danahey has been actively involved in conference and national service throughout his career. He currently serves on the D2SIDA Board of Directors, where he has served from 2013–17 and again since 2019. After serving as West Region Chair from 2019–26, he will begin a one-year term as Second Vice President during the 2026–27 academic year. His national service also includes membership on the NCAA Division II Softball All-America Selection Committee and the NCBWA West Region Rankings Committee (2013–19). He additionally served as D2SIDA West Region Co-Chair for Women's Basketball Rankings from 2014–22 and has played an active role in NCAA Division II postseason media operations.
His championship experience includes serving on the Press Operations staff for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, along with media operations assignments at multiple NCAA Division II Elite Eight championships in Louisville, Kentucky, and Evansville, Indiana, from 1995–2000.
Danahey has also made significant contributions to national academic honors programs, serving as College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-Ameraria® District Coordinator from 2003–13 and Academic All-America® National Coordinator from 2014–23, helping oversee one of the organization's premier recognition programs.
A graduate of Rockford College with a Bachelor of Science degree, Danahey has been an active member of College Sports Communicators since 1993. He resides in Turlock, California.
