Photo by Vanderbilt Athletics

 Arkansas has announced the hire of Kyle Parkinson to lead the Razorbacks' communications department.

Parkinson, a Yellville native and 2004 graduate of the University of Arkansas, has worked at Vanderbilt since 2010. He was the media contact for the Commodores' baseball program from 2010-16 and Vanderbilt football program since 2016.

He also has worked five years with the Memphis Redbirds, the Class AAA minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.

At Arkansas, Parkinson will serve as an associate athletics director and manage a department of seven full-time employees and nearly a dozen interns, including some with paid internships. His primary role will be the lead media contact for Arkansas football, only the fifth person to hold that position since 1977.

Parkinson replaces Patrick Pierson, who left Arkansas for a similar position at Oregon in February.