Bio

Education: B.A., Christopher Newport – 1992
Experience: The Daily Press – Sports Desk – 1986-2000
Assistant Sports Info. Director – Christopher Newport – 1993-96
Sports Information Director – The Apprentice School – 2000-2015
Sports Information Secretary – Hampton University – 2015-16
Assistant Sports Info. Director – Hampton University – 2016-17
Sports Information Director – Hampton University – 2017-21
Associate Director of Communications – Old Dominion University – 2021-24
Assistant Director of Strategic and Broadcast Communications - Hampton University - 2024-2025
Director of Strategic and Broadcast Communications – Hampton University – 2025-present

A 1991 graduate of Christopher Newport University, Heath learned about the sports information profession as a student under CoSIDA Hall of Famer Wayne Block (Class of 2014). He was then a two-year intern under another CoSIDA Hall of Famer, Carol Hudson (Class of 2010), at Old Dominion University before heading back to his alma mater CNU as assistant sports information director.

After a four-year run on the copy desk at The Daily Press in Newport News, Heath landed at The Apprentice School, a vocational school founded and operated by Newport News Shipbuilding. The Builders' athletics program is unique as its “student-working-athletes” not just receive an education but become craftsmen with on-the-job training building ships.

Apprentice is a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) and offers a limited amount of sports. Heath was able to take on more responsibilities while at Apprentice, serving as the sports information contact for the Atlantic Central Football Conference (ACFC) and the USCAA.

In addition to his work with the USCAA, Heath served as the President of the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) organization from 2015-19.

CoSIDA 25 Year Award - 2021
Apprentice School Hall of Fame - 2023

A lifetime Hampton resident, Jim Heath rejoined the Hampton University department in November of 2024 after working three years at Old Dominion University.

At Old Dominion, he served as the Associate Director of Athletic Communications for five teams from November 2021 to November 2024. Heath handled publicity for men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis and men’s basketball. The women’s tennis team won three conference titles, while the women’s soccer team and men’s tennis team won two championships during his tenure.

He joined the Old Dominion staff in November of 2021 after working for six years at Hampton University. While at Hampton, he served as Sports Information Secretary (2015-16), Assistant Sports Information Director (2016-17) and as the Director of Sports Information (2017-21). He helped promote the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) to sponsor Division I Men’s Lacrosse, and a move to the Big South Conference from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

Heath has also worked for 20 years as the Sports Information Consultant for the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA). In his role with the USCAA, he has helped with the development of the website for the association along with serving as statistician for several national championship tournaments. Heath has helped introduce the use of live stats to national tournaments, working with tournaments for publicity locally and nationally, along with serving as a first call for member schools with statistics and Sports Information needs.

A 1992 graduate of Christopher Newport University, Heath was a student Sports Information Director throughout his collegiate days. Upon graduation with an English degree, he worked for two years as the Sports Information Intern at Old Dominion University from 1991-93. At ODU, he worked with nine sports including the field hockey team that did not lose a game in his two years.

After ODU, he returned to CNU serving as its first Assistant Sports Information Director for two years before going full-time with The Daily Press in Newport News, Va. in 1995 where he worked until March of 2001.

He returned the Sports Information field at The Apprentice School, where he served as the Sports Information Director from 2000-2015 for six sports. Heath played a key role in the establishment of their first website, institute live statistics at home events and help start their social media presence on Facebook and Twitter. While there, seven teams in his tenure at the school won national championships in the USCAA.

Heath is an active member of College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and Virginia Sports Information Directors serving a pair of two-year terms as President from 2015-2019. He has served as the Sports Information Director for the Atlantic Central Football Conference (2004-2010) and the National Collegiate Wrestling Association (2002-2007). Heath was named the recipient of the Bob Moskowitz Media Award by the Peninsula Sports Club in June of 2008 and received a Milestone Award by the club in September 2021.

Heath earned his 25-year recognition award from CoSIDA in May of 2021 after finishing his 25th year in athletic communications. In August of 2025, he was named the Coastal Plain League Scorekeeper of the Year in his work with the Peninsula Pilots.