David O’Brian begins his 27th year working in the Binghamton Division of Athletics’ Communications Office in 2026-27. He was hired as the Assistant Sports Information Director in June 2000, promoted to Associate Sports Information Director in May 2015 and to Assistant Athletic Director/Associate Sports Information Director in January 2025.
O’Brian is currently the primary contact for the Bearcats’ men’s soccer, softball, cross country, track & field and swimming & diving programs. He has remained in his role with the men’s soccer, cross country and track & field programs during his entire career at Binghamton. O’Brian also assists with the women’s basketball program after serving as its primary contact during his first 25 years with the Bearcats.
Over the years, O’Brian has been the primary media contact for several America East Conference championship events. This includes six conference softball tournaments, three women’s basketball tournaments, two men’s soccer championship games, two cross country meets and three outdoor track & field championships. In addition, O’Brian has traveled to - and covered - three NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships, two NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships as well as the 2012 Millrose Games.
Within the athletic communication office, O’Brian oversees 3-5 interns per semester and handles the recruitment and scheduling of between 3-6 photographers each year. Four of the interns he has overseen are currently working in positions within college athletics or in professional sports.
In addition to his sports and supervisory roles, O’Brian is part of Binghamton's annual Celebrating Women’s Athletics Luncheon Committee as well as its annual Bearcat Golf Classic Committee. He also assists with the Division of Athletics’ annual Hall of Fame Ceremony as well as its Awards Banquet each May.
Since 2011, O’Brian has taken on the primary historian role within Binghamton’s Division of Athletics. Each year, he is responsible for producing Binghamton Athletics’ Yearbook. In 2012, O’Brian researched and produced the Division of Athletics’ first-ever historical almanac - which he has since updated each year.
O’Brian also works with several student groups within the Division of Athletics in terms of website and social media content. This includes the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), the Student-Athletes of Color for Success (SACS) and the Student-Athlete Mental Health Committee.
Within the Binghamton University campus, O’Brian has been part of its Social Media Task Force since it was founded in 2013. He has also served on the University’s Spirit Committee and Homecoming Weekend Committee.
O’Brian is actively involved within the College Sports Communicators. He is a returning member of its Neurodivergent Committee and continues to be part of its Mentor/Mentee program.
Before the digital era, O’Brian earned multiple awards from COSIDA (the former name for the College Sports Communicators) for his media guide publications. His 2005-06 Women’s Basketball Media Guide was voted the Best in the District and his 2001-02 media guide was judged Second in the District. O’Brian has also earned two Best in the District awards from the College Sports Communicators as part of its Annual Fred S. Stabley Writing Contest.
In June 2025, O’Brian was honored by the College Sports Communicators for having served 25 years in the profession.
O’Brian arrived at Binghamton from the University of Maryland, where he worked in the Sports Information Office from 1995-2000. He was a volunteer his first two years, an hourly intern from 1996-98 and the full-time intern from 1998-2000.
During his time with the Terrapins, O’Brian served as the primary contact for the field hockey, swimming & diving, volleyball and baseball teams. He was the media contact for the first two rounds of the 1997 and 1998 NCAA Field Hockey Tournaments as well as the 1999 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Swimming & Diving Championships. O’Brian also worked all of the Maryland football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball home games.
From 1999-02 O’Brian worked at four consecutive NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Final Fours - the first two of which were held at Maryland while the final two took place at Rutgers. O’Brian was the internal press box announcer and press conference moderator from 2000-02.
A cross country and track & field athlete at Gettysburg College, O’Brian graduated Cum Laude in May 1992. He was also the Sports Editor of the Gettysburgian student newspaper.
O’Brian went on to earn his master’s degree in Sport Management from Maryland in 1998. During his graduate school career (1994-98), he worked full time in retail in addition to his role within the Terps’ Sports Information Office.
Currently, O’Brian and his wife Lora reside in Apalachin, N.Y. He has three stepchildren from their marriage as well six grandchildren.
His cell phone is 607-222-6473 and his email is dobrian@binghamton.edu
