Jeffrey Bernstein, who began his New York University career as Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information in October 1999, is now serving the Department as Assistant Athletic Director for Communications.
In addition to supervising three full-time staff member as well as several student assistants, Bernstein's responsibilities include assisting in the administration of the athletics department, publicizing the activities of the Violets’ 23 varsity teams, maintaining the department’s website, coordinating statistical operations, serving as the department’s record-keeper and historian, as well as other duties as needed.
For his contributions to NYU and to the Sports Information profession, Bernstein was inducted into the CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) Hall of Fame in 2019.
A long-time and active member of CoSIDA (now CSC - College Sports Communicators), Bernstein served as the Chairman of the organization’s Fred Stabley Jr. Writing Contest Committee from 2017-22. In 2016-17, he was a member of the organization’s Recognition Week Committee.
Bernstein has helped NYU receive many awards. In 2007, the women’s basketball media guide cover earned “Best in the Nation” honors from CoSIDA, while the men’s basketball media guide received the same honor in 2003.
During Bernstein’s tenure, numerous NYU student-athletes have earned recognition as CoSIDA (and CSC) Academic All-Americans. In 2018, Kaitlyn Read was promoted for and received the prestigious Jostens Award, given to an “outstanding NCAA Division III men's and women's basketball player who excels on the court, in the classroom and in the community.”
Bernstein served as President of the Eastern College Athletic Conference-Sports Information Directors Association (ECAC-SIDA) during the 2010-11 academic year, helping the organization increase membership, sponsorship and visibility. After joining its Board of Directors as Chairman of Membership Services in 2004, Bernstein stepped into the presidential rotation in 2008-09 as Second Vice President, then First Vice President in 2009-10 and completed his tenure by serving as Past President in 2011-12.
In 2016, Bernstein received the organization’s Irving T. Marsh Award, which is presented annually to a member “who has exhibited excellence in the field of sports information.” Then, in 2018, he received the Bob Kenworthy “Good Guy” Award for “contributions to the corporation and mission of ECAC-SIDA.”
Also a member of the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), Bernstein’s proposal to initiate a Division III Men’s and Women’s National Player of the Week Award was accepted by the organization prior to the 2014-15 season, and he now serves as Chairman of the Division III Selection Committee.
Bernstein, who is also on the Executive Board of the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association (MBWA), earned the organization’s “Mike Cohen Good Guy Award” in 2003, an honor that is presented annually “to someone who has been especially friendly and helpful to the media, often going above and beyond to make their jobs easier and more pleasant.” Bernstein was also cited by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) as a Grant Burger Media Award regional honoree in 2006, 2007 and again in 2011.
A 1982 graduate of St. John’s University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Administration, Bernstein began his work in intercollegiate athletics as the Sports Information Director at Hunter College from 1982-88. While there, he also served as the Director of Media Relations for the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC).
From 1988-99, Bernstein was the Director of Sports Media Relations at NCAA Division I Manhattan College, a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). In addition to overseeing all public relations activities for the Jaspers’ 19 varsity sports teams, Bernstein also served as the Executive Producer for the college’s radio, television and internet basketball broadcasts, and conducted the broadcast’s halftime interviews.
The former Public Relations Director for the Westchester Apples of the United States Basketball League (USBL), Bernstein also worked as a press chief at the 1998 Goodwill Games in New York City. He is a former softball columnist for New York Newsday and currently works part-time for the Associated Press at New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets home games.
A member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), Bernstein has served on NYU’s Professional Development Committee, its IQ Coordinator Committee and with its University Communicators Workgroup.
A native of Brooklyn, NY, Bernstein resides in Montclair, NJ, with his wife Jennifer and their son Benjamin.
