Russell Luna spent a decade and a half as a sports media professional before moving to corporate communications.
Luna is a senior communications specialist for Halff Associates, Inc., a full-service professional engineering and architecture firm, which ranks No. 97 in Engineering News-Record's Top 500 Design Firms list. In this capacity, Luna handles Halff's media relations efforts and crisis communications strategy while supervising project awards submissions throughout the year. During his tenure, Halff has won more than a dozen project awards ranging from the state level to national recognition.
Luna previously served as the assistant director of media services for the Big 12 Conference, overseeing publicity efforts and media championship operations for baseball, women's basketball, football and other sports throughout the season.
Before joining the Big 12 office, Luna spent three seasons as the associate director of athletic communications at West Virginia University. While at WVU, he helped promote All-America campaigns for WNBA first-round pick Bria Holmes and Mountaineer standout Tynice Martin. Holmes was honored as a four-time All-America Honorable Mention and a 2016 Senior CLASS Award Second Team All-American. Additionally, Luna's 2016-17 women's basketball media guide was voted the best in the country by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Luna spent two years as the assistant director of athletic communications at his alma mater Middle Tennessee in 2012-13 and 2013-14. While with the Blue Raiders, Luna handled publicity for the nationally-ranked women's basketball program, baseball, women's tennis and assisted as the secondary contact for football.
Before serving full-time with the Blue Raiders, Luna spent one year as assistant athletic media relations director at Tennessee State University. He was the contact for football, men's basketball, tennis and track & field.
In 2010-11, Luna served as a graduate assistant at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and interned full-time at Western Carolina University in 2009-10. As an undergraduate intern, Luna interned with various organizations including the Houston Astros and Tennessee Titans. While in college, Luna served as a freelance reporter for the Columbia (Tenn.) Daily Herald covering the Nashville Predators (NHL) and local high school sports.
Luna has numerous event experiences, working nine NCAA Final Fours (two men and seven women). He served as the media coordinator for the 2018 NCAA Women's Basketball Kansas City Regional and is currently a volunteer on the NCAA media coordination committee for the Women's Final Four.
Luna continues to serve on the board of directors and oversees the Stopper of the Year award for the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA).
A native of Flintville, Tennessee, Luna graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a bachelor of science in electronic media communications journalism and obtained his master of arts in journalism from the University of Memphis.