Staff Spotlight: Athletic Director of Marketing Tyler Able

Editor’s note: Tyler Able, 26, is director of marketing at Marshall University Athletics. Able graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2014, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and exercise science. In 2017, he earned his master’s degree in sport management at Florida Atlantic University. He has worked at Marshall since 2016. Reporter Rick Farlow recently interviewed Able using a style borrowed from the Marcel Proust/Vanity Fair magazine format, which is designed to reveal the personal side of newsmakers.

Q: What is your most marked characteristic?

A: My most marked characteristic? I would say my ability to stay calm in pressure situations.

Q: What is a quality you most like in a woman?

A: That’s funny! There’s a lot. Can I only pick one? Family oriented.

Q: What do you most value in your friends?

A: The thing I value most in my friends would be the trust I can have between myself and them.

Q: What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

A: I would to have say, one thing would be, in sports, sometimes I get too emotionally invested. Playing sports, watching sports, being a fan, yeah. When things don’t go my way, it’s just a downhill slope from there, in general. I’m just too emotionally invested. It comes from my competitiveness.

Q: What is your favorite occupation?

A: What is my favorite thing to do? Probably working for Marshall Athletics. I love it.

Q: What is your idea of perfect happiness?

A: Perfect happiness. Being surrounded by my family and friends anywhere in the world.

Q: What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

A: I mean, I don’t know how to approach this. Just, losing a child. Or heaven forbid, being involved in a natural disaster and losing everything you own. Or losing a family member. Misery would be waking up every morning where you had to spend eight hours at a place and not enjoy it.

Q: In which country would you like to live?

A: If I had to pick any country? Well, I mean, first choice would be America. But, if we’re having fun with it and jumping outside of America, I would probably say Italy or Spain. I’ve always had just a real interest in visiting and being over in Italy, as far as the culture.

Q: Who are your favorite writers?

A: If I had to pick, George R.R. Martin. “Game of Thrones,” “The Song of Ice and Fire,” just his mind and the ability to write that story and be in-depth and play with people’s emotions like that, to me, is insane.

Q: Who are your favorite poets?

A: I don’t have one.

Q: Who is your favorite hero of fiction?

A: Growing up, it would have been Batman. It’s just awesome. I was infatuated with Batman growing up. The ability to be human but also have the strength and power to save Gotham City.

Q: Who is your favorite heroine of fiction?

A: Cat Woman. Sleek and mysterious.

Q: Who are your favorite composers?

A: Composers? If it’s your standard, I’d say Beethoven, I guess. If you’re just talking about artists today? Drake and probably Zack Brown and the Zack Brown Band.

Q: Who are your favorite painters?

A: Michelangelo. I don’t know that many painters in today’s society.

Q: What are your favorite names?

A: Names? Just give you a list? Well, my own, Tyler. Molly, Sandy I associate those names with the two women that are closest to my heart. And obviously, my own name. Sandy being my mom and Molly being my fiancé.

Q: What is it that you most dislike?

A: Sports are a big part of my life so, you know, growing up in Kentucky, we had a lot of teams that were our rivals, especially our in-state rival 75 miles away. I grew up in Louisville, by the way. You develop a sense of dislike for in-state rivals. That can be said for any sports fan across the country.

Q: Which talent would you most like to have?

A: Sing.

Q: How would you like to die?

A: Surrounded by family. I honestly don’t even know.

Q: What is your current state of mind?

A: Happy. Life’s good.

Q: What is your motto?

A: Every day I wake up, I try to be the best me that I can be that day. I really focus on living in the present.

Rick Farlow can be contacted at [email protected].