Turner '20 enters his fifth year as a member of the Lander Sports Information staff and his third year as Director of Athletic Communications. At the time of his promotion in 2024, he was the youngest head sports information director in the Peach Belt Conference. He currently serves as the primary contact for the Bearcat Field Hockey, Wrestling, Baseball, Esports, Bass Fishing, Cross Country, and Track and Field teams. He also served as the primary play-by-play announcer for the Lander Wrestling team's home matches during the 2022-23 season. Previously, he served as the primary contact for Women's Basketball (2022-24), Women's Lacrosse (2022-24), Men's Rugby (2022-24), and Softball (2024).
Kirby has served as the Media Coordinator for the 2024 and 2026 NCAA Super Region II Wrestling Championships, the 2025 and 2026 Peach Belt Conference Baseball Tournament, and the 2025 Peach Belt Conference Baseball Championship Series.
During his time at Lander, the Sports Information staff has earned Peach Belt Conference Sports Information Staff of the Year honors twice, first in 2022-23 during Kirby's first year as Assistant Sports Information Director and again in 2025-26 under his leadership as Director of Athletic Communications.
Since Kirby assumed leadership of the department in the summer of 2024, the athletic department's combined social media following has increased by more than 20 percent, adding nearly 5,000 followers across its four primary social media accounts.
Outside of his role at Lander, Kirby has served as the official scorer for the 2023 South Atlantic Conference Basketball Tournament, the 2023, 2024, and 2026 NJCAA Division II Softball World Series, the 2025 NCAA Division I Softball Columbia Regional and Super Regional, and the 2025 South Atlantic Conference Field Hockey Championship.
Before coming to Lander, Kirby was an Athletic Communications Assistant at Newberry College in Newberry, S.C. During his time with the Wolves, he served as the primary contact for Newberry's Field Hockey, Cross Country, Wrestling, Softball, and Track and Field teams. He also temporarily served as the primary contact for the SAC champion football team during the fall. Kirby successfully nominated nine athletes for SAC Player of the Week honors, 11 SAC All-Conference selections, two D2CCA All-Region selections, and one SAC/Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year. He also covered the NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championships for the Newberry wrestling program and provided color commentary for Newberry basketball and baseball broadcasts on WKDK.
A native of Cumming, Ga., Kirby graduated from Lander in December 2020 with a degree in Business Administration and a minor in Sports Management. As a student, he worked with Lander Athletics as a student assistant, helping with game-day operations for the Bearcats. He was also a member of the 2017 Lander Men's Cross Country team that relaunched the program after a hiatus dating back to 2000. In December 2022, Kirby earned his master's degree in Athletic Leadership from Clemson University.
