Jake Woods, Lauren Sutton assume new Athletic Department positions
Jake Woods and Lauren Sutton have large shoes to fill as they step into the Athletics Communications department after John Painter’s retirement. Painter, a College Sports Communicators Hall of Fame inductee, spent his four years at Maryville College as a mentor to all, leaving a lasting impression on the athletics department; now, it’s Woods’ time to shine.
“JP is the best of the best, and I can only hope to live up to the standard he established,” Woods said. “However, I’m excited to leave my own mark on the department and improve things the way I see fit.”
Woods joined the Scots as an athletics communications assistant in January of 2025, and is now assistant athletics director for communications. With that title comes a lot of responsibilities, including keeping historical records, recording statistics and promoting Maryville sports.
“I love being able to promote our student-athletes and their achievements. Getting to know them and their stories is what keeps me going.” Woods said.
Athletic Communications Assistant Lauren Sutton joined the MC staff in August of 2025, replacing Woods’ previous job. In her first couple months, she has made graphics for the men’s soccer, volleyball and men’s basketball teams; along with managing live statistics across those sports, writing sports recaps and co-managing the MC Scots social media accounts. “We do a little bit of everything, and [what I have to do] depends on the day,” Sutton said. “For example, we have a lot of graphics to push out for athletes of the week and athletes of the month.”
One aspect of the job that doesn’t fluctuate is the constructive environment of the athletics department. Woods and Sutton both look to Athletic Director Andrew Wu and Senior Associate Athletic Director Brittney Washington for advice, as well as their help to make sure the ship runs smoothly.
“I like to go to our coaches and say ‘what can we do better?’. That’s my goal at the end of everyone’s season, [to do better for next year],” Sutton said. “I’m very grateful that we have those relationships here where we can bounce ideas off each other and get everyone’s input.”
“We all work closely together as administrators,” Woods said. “We make sure that everything is operating the way they need to and fixing what isn’t up to our standards.”
Those standards are set extremely high because of Painter and the storied legacy he left behind. He’s still very involved with MC athletics, from assisting with game days to working alongside Woods for ongoing projects; his retirement doesn’t mean the culture he built has left.
“It’s big shoes to fill after [Painter] left,” Sutton said. “It’s really important to put out good quality work for the school.”
“[Painter] is someone who’s worked in the industry since the 1980s and has so much experience and knowledge, more than I could ever hope to have,” Woods said. “Filling in [Painter’s] shoes was always intimidating for me.”
“I love working with our students,” Woods said. “Seeing them on game days and throughout the week are some of the best parts of my job. That’s the most important thing I do, is make sure our students are represented and get the recognition they deserve.”
“I’m loving the job,” Sutton said. “It’s really nice that I get to explore my passions for a living and I can make a living out of it.”