Stayson Isobe has been appointed as Associate Athletic Director for Communications & Brand Strategy at Northern Arizona University (NAU), according to an announcement from Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Uri Farkas. Isobe returns to NAU after nearly three years with the Fiesta Sports Foundation, where he managed social media and communications for events such as the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Stayson back to Flagstaff,” Farkas said. “He is going to be an integral part of our athletic department’s vision as we navigate a rapidly changing collegiate landscape. His experience and creative leadership will be vital as we grow our brand, support NIL opportunities, and continue to share the Lumberjack story on a broader stage.”
Isobe began his career at NAU Athletics in 2011 as a Media Relations Graduate Assistant and advanced through various roles before becoming Associate AD for Communications in 2020. He resumed his position at NAU in July 2025, overseeing communications, brand strategy, and creative services across the university’s 15 intercollegiate programs. In addition, he will serve as the primary media contact for football and men’s basketball.
“It means so much to be back in Flagstaff and part of Lumberjack Athletics again,” Isobe said. “I owe my career to NAU Athletics and this university as a whole, so I want to thank Uri Farkas and Alex Lais for the opportunity to return home. I have so many great memories from my first chapter here, and I’m excited to create even more with our incredible student-athletes and staff.”
During his time with the Fiesta Sports Foundation, Isobe helped secure both statewide and national coverage for philanthropic events organized by the foundation. He also managed media relations for major college football games hosted in Arizona.
While previously at NAU, Isobe was responsible for publicity surrounding nine conference championship teams and promoted five CoSIDA Academic All-Americans—including Tyler Day, who was named Academic All-American of the Year in 2019-20—as well as three athletic All-Americans. He was selected for CoSIDA’s inaugural Diversity & Inclusion Fellowship class in 2022 and received national recognition with the AVCA Grant Burger Media Award in Social Media in 2018.
Isobe has contributed his expertise at several major sporting events nationwide, including NCAA Men’s Basketball Regional tournaments, Final Four competitions, and Super Bowl LVII held in Phoenix. His responsibilities ranged from coordinating media logistics on-site to developing digital content strategies.
A native of Waipahu, Hawai’i, Isobe holds both bachelor’s (Secondary Education Mathematics with a minor in Japanese) and master’s (Educational Leadership) degrees from Northern Arizona University.
