KINGSPORT, Tenn. -  Assistant Athletic Director for Communications Gordie Frierson has been named the 2025-26 Willie Belcher SID of the Year. The award is named in honor of longtime Virginia Intermont sports information director Willie Belcher. Belcher always exhibited a strong passion for her job and for the students and student-athletes that she came in contact with on a daily basis. She was strong in her faith and a great influence on those around her. In 2010, she was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma and lost her battle to cancer in June of 2012.

Frierson earns the honor for the first time in his career after seven years leading communications and digital media efforts for CIU Athletics. As Assistant Athletic Director for Communications, he serves as the primary media contact for all Rams programs and has played a key role in increasing the department's visibility at the local and national levels.

During his tenure, CIU teams have twice been featured on the front page of The State's sports section, while the Rams gained national attention in 2021 when Tara Collins' goal was selected as the No. 3 play on ESPN SportsCenter Top 10.

Frierson has served as the host Sports Information Director for three NCCAA Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, multiple AAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, NCCAA South Region Championships, and the AAC Men's Soccer Tournament. He has successfully nominated dozens of AAC, NAIA, and NCCAA Players of the Week, as well as multiple CSC Academic All-District and CSC Academic All-America selections.

Through his promotional efforts, CIU student-athletes have earned some of the NCCAA's highest individual honors, including the Wheeler Award in Track & Field, the Kyle Rote, Jr. Award in Men's Soccer, the Deb Thompson Award in Softball, and the Pete Maravich Award in Men's Basketball.

In addition to overseeing athletic communications, Frierson continues to lead Rams Club fundraising efforts, helping support facility improvements including locker room and training room renovations and the development of the CIU softball and baseball facilities. He has also mentored graduate assistants who have gone on to careers in Minor League Baseball and at NAIA and NCAA institutions.

"I'm honored to receive this award, but the reality is that I couldn't do this job alone," Frierson said. "A huge part of anything we've accomplished within the CIU Sports Information Department is because of the work of Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant Sarah Merrill and Athletic Operations Coordinator Haylee Willis, who consistently go above and beyond to promote our student-athletes and coaches."

"I'm also grateful to Director of Athletics Stefan Vasiloff for his trust, support, and belief in what we're building at CIU. Most importantly, we have some of the greatest coaches and student-athletes in college athletics. I'm grateful for the opportunity to tell their stories and share the ways God is working through CIU Athletics. This recognition is a reflection of all of them as much as it is of me"

The honor marks the first Willie Belcher SID of the Year award in CIU Athletics history, as Frierson becomes the first Ram to receive the recognition.

Click HERE to view this year's AAC release.