Linfield University Athletics

The longest-serving sports communications director in Northwest Conference history, Kelly Bird now serves Linfield as the Athletic Department's Marketing and Events Coordinator.

Embracing a hybrid position which he helped design starting in 2025, Bird continues to manage the external communications functions and game-day operations for the Linfield football, softball and track & field programs. He remains as the lead contact for developing and maintaining community partnerships and continues in a vital role as a valuable information resource with the Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame Executive Committee. 

A longtime member of the College Sports Communicators organization, Bird was enshrined in the CSC Hall of Fame in June, 2026, becoming just the fourth sports communicator from the state of Oregon and the third Canadian to be inducted. 

Bird is a three-time recipient of the Jack Saurealt Award, honored following the 2007-08, 2014-15 and 2020-21 academic years, recognizing annually the Northwest Conference's top sports communications program. In 2007, he was honored as Linfield's Administrator of the Year for the McMinnville campus. 

During his 37 years at Linfield, Bird has produced 22 nationally award-winning sports brochures, including five that were judged "Best in the Nation." He served for 12 years as a regional voter on the Associated Press Division III All-America football team. He also spent 10 years as a member of the National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators, including three as NACMA's designated Division III representative.

For 14 years, Bird was a sports-statistics editor at The Oregonian newspaper in Portland, part of which he doubled as a radio announcer at KUIK 1360 AM in Hillsboro.

Bird earned an associate of applied science degree in broadcasting from Portland Community College. A graduate of Tigard High School, he was a two-year letter winner at defensive tackle for the Tigers' football team and served as Tigard's baseball and softball public address announcer for six seasons.

Born in Calgary, Alberta, Bird maintains Canadian citizenship but has lived in the United States for more than 50 years. He and his wife, Jolene, live in McMinnville and have two daughters. Karlee graduated in 2022 from Corban University with a bachelor's degree in music education. Jillian completed a bachelor's degree in design and illustration from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle in 2025.