From scouting prospective players and coaching strength exercises to managing programming or crafting policy, Augustana alumni are scoring big by serving professional sports organizations across the country. While their roles differ, a common thread remains — the lessons they learned at Augustana tee’d them up for success.
⚾️ Tatum Barstad ‘21 is an account executive of group events & hospitality for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Her primary responsibilities include driving group sales, executing theme nights, creating and managing group events, as well as enhancing the overall guest experience.
“The best part of my job is creating memorable experiences for fans,” Barstad, who majored in communication studies and sport management, said. “It’s incredibly rewarding to see them enjoy a day at the ballpark and celebrate special moments together.”
During her time at AU, Barstad interned with Augustana Athletics and the Sioux Falls Canaries, and served as president of SKOL — a student organization dedicated to promoting school spirit and active participation at university events. Barstad, who’s always wanted to work in sports, said she’s grateful for her Augustana experiences.
“Making connections is crucial in this industry, and the relationships I built at Augustana have been invaluable,” said Barstad. “The friendships I formed continue to support me, and overall, Augustana laid a strong foundation for my journey with the Arizona Diamondbacks.”
🏈 Eric Ellingworth ‘11 is in his sixth season as a southeast area scout with the Dallas Cowboys. At Augustana, Ellingworth was a business administration, social studies and secondary education triple major, as well as a wide receiver for the Vikings. Following graduation, he served as a high school social studies teacher and football coach, wide receiver graduate assistant (GA) coach at the University of Florida and scouting assistant with the New York Jets.
With the Cowboys, he has a jam-packed schedule, but wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I travel throughout the fall to attend practices, games and meet with staff members at college football programs in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee to scout potential NFL prospects in preparation for the NFL Draft in April,” said Ellingworth. “January through March, I continue the evaluation process by attending practices at college all-star games, the NFL Combine and on-campus pro days. April is an entire month of draft meetings with our team owners — Jerry Jones and his family — coaching staff and personnel executives to present the draft reports on the NFL prospects. I usually write between 250-300 scouting reports each fall. It's a lot of travel, a huge time commitment, there's pressure to be accurate in terms of the character and talent evaluations I write and present, but I absolutely love it.”
Ellingworth credits his wide receiver coach at Augustana, John Van Dam, with where he is today. Van Dam, who now coaches for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, called Ellingworth a few years after graduation and asked about his interest in coaching at the University of Florida.
“At Augustana, (Van Dam) challenged me as a player, helped me grow as a man and instilled belief in myself,” Ellingworth said. “During that phone call, he once again instilled confidence in me, telling me he always envisioned me being a good college coach. I spent three years coaching in Florida, and that opportunity was probably the best investment for my career in football and has opened a lot of doors for me.”
Ellingworth may wear a lot of navy, silver and white these days, but he’ll always hold two other colors close.
“I will forever bleed Augustana blue and gold, and greatly cherish my time there.”
🎾 Rebecca Falkner Axelrod ‘20 serves as the executive director of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Heart of America. She oversees all things tennis in the Kansas City metro area; Lawrence, Kansas; and St. Joseph, Missouri. This includes adaptive & wheelchair tennis, adult & junior competition and community development.
“Being able to share my love for the sport with others is the best part of my job,” Falkner Axelrod said. “Kansas City has a large tennis community, but everyone knows everyone. It is cool to share my passion with other people who are passionate about the same thing. Also, I grew up in USTA Heart of America, so a lot of the older volunteers remember me from when I was a junior.”
Falkner Axelrod graduated from Augustana in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in sport management and in 2021 with a Master of Arts in sports administration & leadership (MSAL). While at AU, she was a member of the women’s tennis team. Falkner Axelrod said both academics and athletics prepared her well for the future.
“The rigorous academics plus being a student-athlete helped me with time management, and learning from professors with different degrees and backgrounds really opened my eyes to what else is out there,” said Falkner Axelrod.
⚾️ Drew Heithoff ‘11 is a major league assistant performance coach for the Detroit Tigers, where he creates programs and coaches players through in- and off-season corrective exercise, movement & speed skills, strength & power work and conditioning & recovery. He also helps oversee the Tigers’ minor league strength staff.
“I get to live out a lifelong dream,” Heithoff said of working for the Tigers. “I always dreamed of playing in the MLB, but once I knew playing wasn’t going to happen, this career path provided an amazing opportunity to achieve my lifelong goal. Plus, I get to include my wife and two boys in on the experience. This game has taught me a lot over the years, and I believe it will also help instill great values in my boys.”
Prior to his role with the Tigers, Heithoff held a number of performance/coaching positions, including at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Exos and seven years with the San Diego Padres. At Augustana, Heithoff was an exercise science and fitness management double major and infielder for the Augustana Baseball Team.
“The entire community at Augustana helped mold me into who I am,” said Heithoff. “They gave me the opportunity to play the game, plus the education necessary to find a career path within that game. I was able to get my internship at UCLA because a former Augie student-athlete went through the same internship and made a lasting impression. (UCLA) saw Augustana on my resume and later told me that was what got my resume to the top of the pile. That speaks to the quality of people that go through our university.”
🏀 Evan Pierce ‘14 is the vice president of people & culture for the Boston Celtics. He was a business administration major at Augustana, as well as a member of the Augustana Men’s Basketball Team. Following graduation, Pierce spent time in the tech industry at Raven Industries, Hewlett Packard and Apple. He joined the Celtics in 2021, where his focus is on elevating employee experiences through custom people practices, fostering inclusive cultures and technology integration.
“Being part of such a historic culture and striving for excellence every day makes coming to work truly motivating,” Pierce said. “Since our employees are also our season ticket members, I have been dedicated to making every experience top notch. I’ve really enjoyed helping to enhance these experiences through improved processes and technology that enable everyone to excel.”
Despite working in the big leagues, Pierce said his time at Augustana was a game changer.
“The combination of playing sports, being in a supportive environment for practicing my faith and focusing on my studies taught me essential skills like teamwork, discipline and time management,” said Pierce. “Additionally, I met my wife at Augie through mutual friends — though she’s a SDSU (South Dakota State University) Jackrabbit, I won’t hold that against her!”
And, getting to work for a team that won the 2024 NBA Championship is simply the cherry on top.
“It has been incredible and hard to put into words,” Pierce said. “From the late nights during the season and supporting our organizational growth to celebrating on duck boats, there’s a real sense of pride and excitement. Being part of such a successful and celebrated team is truly special.”
🏈 Brendon Plack ‘03 serves as the NFL’s senior vice president of public policy & government affairs. In his role, Plack leads the government affairs effort for the NFL at the federal and state levels, as well as in certain international markets. Working with a team of government affairs representatives, he helps craft the policy agenda for the NFL and carry out a strategy to achieve those goals.
A business administration and economics double major at Augustana, Plack served in politics for more than 15 years before joining the NFL in 2019.
“The best part of this job is working with the best and brightest professionals in sports, media and entertainment,” Plack said. “Working at the cross section of professional sports and public policy provides a great opportunity to work on policy issues important to the league and millions of fans who attend or watch games each year.”
Plack’s affinity for public policy began at Augustana, which he said provided him with a great foundation for his work.
“The faculty were not only experts in their field, but challenged students to expand their horizons and think critically across different subject areas,” said Plack. “The university and alumni offered great networking opportunities that led to internships and excellent entry-level jobs, and the broader Augustana community resulted in lifelong friendships.”