Some people think football is a matter of life and death. “Actually, it’s more important than that,” says Kevin McGurn ’26, laughing at the familiar adage. “Sports are my passion. I can’t see myself doing anything else.”
A creative media intern for Syracuse Orange football, McGurn is part of a new wave of students fueling Syracuse Athletics’ digital gold rush. His skills as a sports photographer and versatile graphic designer are indispensable to the football program’s digital and social media presence.
Such work falls under the umbrella of “social media marketing” and is integral to cultivating brand awareness. It also benefits student-athlete recruiting. “Social media marketing enables football signees to communicate with different audiences in real time,” says McGurn, a junior majoring in communications design in Syracuse’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA). “It helps them get to know future coaches and teammates.”
I’m getting hands-on experience in integrated sports marketing while changing the way our fans engage with Syracuse football.
Kevin McGurn ’26
McGurn, who’s in the second year of his internship, recently produced a series of movie poster-style graphics announcing new signees. In one of them, running back Jaden Hart ’28, a top-10 prospect from Indiana, appears to be stepping out of a scene from Back to the Future.
“When I told Jaden I had designed it, he was like, ‘Dude, that’s so cool,’” admits McGurn, who previously interned at Syracuse Athletics and the Air Force Academy Falcons.
McGurn likes being on the team behind the team, helping realize the Orange’s creative tone and vision. For the former high school footballer, it’s a dream come true. “I’m getting hands-on experience in integrated sports marketing while changing the way our fans engage with Syracuse football,” he says. “It’s a win-win.”
Kevin McGurn ’26 (right) with Austin Beehner. director of creative media and content strategy. "He plays a pivotal role in the Orange’s recruiting and social media marketing efforts, Beehner says.
In the Trenches
If ever there was a sense of immediacy to McGurn’s work, it’s now as the Fran Brown era begins on Saturday, Aug. 31, with a home opener against the Ohio Bobcats. That Syracuse’s new head coach landed the program’s highest ranking recruiting class only 22 days after his appointment speaks volumes.
“His intensity is unrivaled,” says McGurn of the former Georgia defensive backs coach, who was named 247 Sports’ National Recruiter of the Year in February. “He expects you to always be on your game.”
There’s a word for Brown’s work ethic. “Actually, it’s an acronym,” McGurn interjects. “It’s ‘DART,’ which refers to being detailed, accountable, relentless and tough.”
More than a coaching philosophy or an offensive scheme, DART is a core value that permeates everything Brown and the team do, on and off the field.
McGurn on the sidelines with new Head Coach Fran Brown. “His intensity is unrivaled,” says the aspiring sports creative director.
McGurn considers him one of the most creative leaders he’s ever worked with. “Coach Brown is always looking for ways to improve upon or reinvent what our department does. Our quality is high because his expectations are high.”
Lately, McGurn has been designing PowerPoint slide decks for Brown’s expanding roster of assistant coaches.
When Jeff Nixon was tapped as the new offensive coordinator and running backs coach, McGurn made slides that were “on brand” with Nixon’s former employers, including the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers.
For Ross Douglas, the Orange’s new wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator, McGurn illustrated a fake pill bottle—a remedy for those suffering from a case of dropped passes (aka dropsies). “We had a good laugh over that one,” McGurn adds.
“Without the creative staff, there would be no [football] program,” Brown insists. “They’re in the trenches with us daily. Players love them, and coaches need them to accomplish what needs to be done in recruiting.”
A Good, Clean Shot
Growing up in historic York County, Pennsylvania, McGurn yearned to spread his wings, creatively, academically and otherwise. VPA’s century-old School of Design—with its faculty experts and connected alumni, professional learning opportunities and top-flight facilities—seemed tailormade for him.
“I do lots of things in my degree program—writing copy, designing websites, branding businesses,” says the aspiring sports creative director.
McGurn appreciates the convenience of interning on campus, where he turns out crisp, attractive content for games, practices, recruit visits and other special events.
McGurn works with Beehner to create digital and online content for football games, practices, recruit visits and special events.
On gameday, McGurn shoots upwards of 3,500 images, which are quickly whittled down to a few hundred and then shared with a supervisor—usually Austin Beehner, director of creative media and content strategy—for selection, captioning and posting. “For other assignments, I usually take about 2,200 photos, of which 150 are sent out for consideration. About 12 make the cut,” McGurn continues.
Beehner considers McGurn the department’s “unsung hero,” someone who plays a “pivotal role” in the Orange’s recruiting and social media marketing efforts. “I’m immensely grateful for the work that talented individuals like Kevin do every day.”
To the extent that McGurn is a student of the game makes him an asset to Syracuse football. His goal, as a photographer, is to get a good, clean shot. “It’s part instinct and part knowing what people like to see,” he adds. “A good photo makes my job easier as a designer.”
