Deep in the heart of Texas
LONGVIEW, Texas — Shane Meling didn't set out to become a sports information director.
"Until I got to college, I didn't even know what an SID was," he said.
Now, after five years as the SID at LeTourneau University on the Eastern Texas plains, Memling is moving on to a bigger challenge as the sports information director at Texas A&M-Kingsville.
His trail south was nothing like the roads found in Texas: there was nothing straight about it.
A math major and basketball player at Grove CityCollege, Memling didn't decide to go to graduate school at Slippery Rock University until February of his senior year.
He decided sports management was what he wanted to do as a career and enrolled in the program at SRU.
He took a job as a graduate assistant in the Slippery Rock University sports information department and became enamored with the job.
"I got a lot of experience at SRU," Meling said.
Still, the Slippery Rock High graduate didn't pursue an SID position vigorously.
He thought he would become an intramurals director.
Meling applied for one SID job — at LeTourneau — and snagged it.
Five years later, Texas A&M-Kingsville came calling. It was an offer Meling couldn't refuse.
His wife, Vanessa, whom he met at LeTourneau, also was hired by Texas A&M-Kingsville.
Meling, who was the first full-time SID at LeTourneau, is facing different challenges in his new post.
Meling began his new job at Texas A&M-Kingsville Monday and his main chore was getting ready for football season. LeTourneau didn't have a football program.
"That's going to be different and something to get used to," Meling said. "But I'm looking forward to it."
Texas A&M-Kingsville has only 10 varsity sports, but its football program is a perennial power in the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference.
The university was previously known as Texas A&I. Its most famous football alum is Darrell Green, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame last weekend.
Meling said he was grateful for his experience at LeTourneau.
"I am very thankful to LeTourneau University for taking a chance on a 24-year-old," Meling said.
