Mark Fisher Isn’t Just Keeping Score, He’s Writing the Story of CMU Sports

For the past 22 years, Mark Fisher has shaped the story of Carnegie Mellon University athletics. As director of athletics communications, his workdays are a whirlwind of statistics, social media posts, video streams, in-game troubleshooting and postgame recaps — part precision, part chaos.

That kind of energy suits Fisher perfectly.

“I love it,” Fisher said. “I still joke that I don’t know what I’m gonna do when I grow up because I get paid now to watch sports. I love being around athletics. It’s in my blood.”

Fisher’s dad, Skip, was a coach and physical education teacher at Keystone Oaks High School and a part-time scout for the San Francisco Giants. Fisher’s grandfather, Elmer Gray, scouted for the Cincinnati Reds during their Big Red Machine era in the 1970s and for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1984 to 2012.

Gray convinced the Reds to draft an under-the-radar prospect from Donora named Ken Griffey Sr., and later directed the Pirates’ draft that yielded Barry Bonds. Gray also had a huge impact on his grandson’s career path.

“When I was a freshman at Edinboro University, my grandfather came up one weekend and introduced me to the head baseball coach,” Fisher said. “Then he introduced me to the sports information director (SID), and it all just fell into place from there.”

By his sophomore year, Fisher was helping run Edinboro’s sports information office. “It was the best experience I could’ve gotten,” he said. “My hands were on everything.”

That led to two roles in minor league baseball: an internship with the Erie SeaWolves and a sales position with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. “My role wasn’t just baseball; it was everything,” he said. “I was pulling the tarp, working at the concession stand, being the mascot.”

Just weeks before Fisher’s wedding, the Scrappers eliminated his position. A call from a mentor pointed him to an opening at Mercyhurst University, and Fisher accepted the job while on his honeymoon. “We flew back to Pittsburgh on a Saturday and I was at work at 8 a.m. Monday morning,” Fisher recalled with a laugh.

Two years later, in 2004, Fisher joined Carnegie Mellon. “I started two days before our first football game and I’ve been here ever since,” he said.

On any given game day, Fisher’s work begins hours before kickoff and ends long after the final buzzer. It’s not unusual for him to work two or more games on campus on the same day while also monitoring CMU teams playing away games.

“It’s not a job for the weak,” Football Head Coach Ryan Larsen said. “Mark grinds it out because he loves it and because he loves the student-athletes.”

After each game he staffs, Fisher tweets the final score and highlights, interviews the head coach and players, writes the recap, updates the team webpage and emails information to local media.

“I remember a lot of nights when we’d be tearing down the court after an event and there’s Mark, doing all the things behind the scenes that people don’t realize,” said Tony Wingen, who recently retired after 35 years as CMU’s men’s basketball head coach. “It’s a tireless job, and also a little bit thankless at times.”

Fisher’s presence is felt beyond game days. He often stops by practices and checks in with the student-athletes. Every Monday, he joins Larsen’s “state of the union” meeting with the position coaches and coordinators, strength coach, athletic trainer and equipment manager.

“The whole point is to keep everyone on the same page,” Larsen said. “He’s hearing about injuries, who’s probable and all that so he can prepare the stat crew and make sure everything’s ready. He’s fully invested.”

The rapid evolution of technology and social media has transformed the field of sports information. Fisher embraces those tools while staying grounded in the fundamentals: storytelling, accuracy and substance.


“He’s an old-school SID, and I mean that in a good way,” Larsen said. “He’s about doing it the right way. It’s not about flashy graphics or 30-second videos that just grab attention.”

That doesn’t mean Fisher resists innovation. Working with Andrea James, associate director of athletics communications, he helped launch the CMU Sports Network — a multi-camera broadcast system with replay capabilities and professional-level commentary. 

“In the last three years, the quality of our broadcasts has improved so much,” Larsen said. “Parents and alumni tell me all the time how impressed they are. It’s a big undertaking, and Mark and Andrea made it happen.”

Fisher’s partnership with James has been central to the department’s growth. Together, they cover 19 NCAA Division III varsity teams, coordinate communications and support each other through the fast pace of the job — and the changes in their personal lives.

“We’ve grown in that space together,” James said. “We talk about how the pace was different back then, but our responsibilities have grown — both professionally and personally. We’ve been on that journey together and understand what it’s like to have families and everything that comes with that.”

Fisher has helped transform the visibility of CMU athletics. “When I first got here, people would say, ‘Carnegie Mellon has sports?’” he said. “I don’t get that anymore. The recognition we have now on campus is night and day from when I started.”

Earlier this year, Fisher was named co-recipient of the 2025 Irving T. Marsh Service Bureau Award by the Eastern Athletic Communications Association. The award honors excellence in service, leadership and dedication to the advancement of athletic communications.

“Mark is one of my favorite people that I’ve worked with over the years,” Wingen said. “He’s tireless in his promotion of the athletics department. There’s nobody who loves CMU athletics and CMU athletes more than Mark Fisher.”

James agreed. “It’s cyclical work — the same things happen every year, but they’re never the same,” she said. “There’s always something new, something unexpected. Through it all, Mark’s consistency and care never waver. That’s why this place feels like home.”