Former Tennessee Titans broadcast producer Ashley Farrell took a chance on herself when she applied for a job with the National Football League team more than a decade ago.
She moved to Nashville and accepted a part-time job with the Titans initially before becoming a full-time member of the organization’s media team. Her responsibilities included conceptualizing, filming, and editing various video series, as well as producing highlights of games and practices, features, and community events for the Titans.
After 11 years with the Titans, Farrell decided to take another chance on herself.
This time she moved to Knoxville to be the associate director of VFL films, Tennessee Athletics’ broadcasting and media production company, and an adjunct assistant professor of practice in the School of Journalism and Media.
“Telling the story of UT’s sports programs during a period when there’s so much success is super exciting,” Farrell said. “In addition, this opportunity is allowing me to return to my roots of working with students, which will be incredibly rewarding.”
Joining The Team on Rocky Top
As a faculty member, Farrell will teach a special topics course this spring and mentor students in The Media Center at the College of Communication and Information (CCI) throughout the academic year, including those involved with The Volunteer Channel.
She will also help develop collaborative opportunities for students within The Media Center, the School of Journalism and Media, and Tennessee Athletics to provide opportunities for CCI students to participate in professional sports reporting and producing opportunities.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Ashley to the team. Our students are getting next-level training from someone who has lived both professional and collegiate sports production,” said Amy Jo Coffey, director of the School of Journalism and Media. “She’s a leader in our profession and now she’ll be leading our students.”
As part of the Vol Network team, Farrell will assist in delivering more Tennessee Athletics content to Vol Nation, including four brand-new shows in a partnership between Tennessee Athletics, Vol Network, Gray Media, and the Tennessee Valley Sports Entertainment Network. This includes once again working alongside former Tennessee Titans colleague and new Voice of the Vols Mike Keith. In addition to working with him through VFL Films, Keith also joined the School of Journalism and Media faculty this fall as an adjunct professor of practice.
“I am beyond excited to continue working alongside Mike Keith. He has taught me so much and I truly admire him for not only his talents but his amazing work ethic,” Farrell said. “I can’t wait to see him shine as he gets to share his wisdom with the students for years to come.”
Farrell said she benefited greatly from having several real-world experiences available to her as a college student, adding it gave her a leg up as she started working professionally in the industry. She plans on paying that forward in her new roles on Rocky Top.
One way will be through a partnership between the Vol Network and CCI to offer an internship program. The CCI/Vol Network Production Internship program will give selected students hands-on experience with the production of the new programming beginning this fall. Students will serve in various roles on a production intern pool for numerous Vol Network programs including The Mike Keith Show, Volunteer GameDay, and other productions.
A Passionate Sports Storyteller
Farrell grew up attending St. Louis Cardinals games with her dad and those experiences helped spark her love of sports.
That passion deepened as a student at the University of Missouri School of Journalism when she had the opportunity to work on Friday Night Fever, a weekly, student-led, multimedia program covering local high school football for KOMU-TV Channel 8, the school’s local NBC affiliate. Farrell said working for Friday Night Fever was a great way to learn videography and storytelling on a tight deadline. It was also her first time producing.
After graduating from college, she accepted a position at Baylor University before working for the Titans. At Baylor, she worked with its athletics department creating content for its digital and social platforms, producing a regional sports show highlighting the success of Baylor’s programs, and ran an internship program for students interested in learning how to cover various sports.
“I think one of the reasons why I love what I do is because I get to be a bridge between the fans and the teams they love,” Farrell said. “I bring that passion with me to Rocky Top and hope it inspires the next generation of Vols in their storytelling efforts.”