Madison College Wolfpack

Jason Verhelst started with the Madison College Athletic Department in October of 2000 as a Sports Information Director. In the summer of 2014, he was named the Assistant Athletic Director for Communications, and in the summer of 2018, he was promoted to Associate Athletic Director. On July 1, 2022, Verhelst assumed the role of Interim Director of Athletics, becoming the fourth Athletic Director in school history. The interim tag was removed in May 2023 to make Verhelst the permanent Director of Athletics.

Verhelst has overseen the Madison College student health clinic, all department public and media relations, graphic design and photography, record keeping, statistics and result reporting, awards, department websites (madisoncollegeathletics.com, madisoncollegerecreation.com, etc.), technology initiatives, video production, special events, Title IX compliance, department and facility branding, social media, and external communications for the department. In addition to those duties, he also assisted with eligibility and other special projects.

Verhelst is the founder and acting director of SportReporting.com, a business entity of the college and the athletic department.

In addition to his work for Madison College, Verhelst has served as North Central Community College Conference (N4C) Athletic Communications Director, Secretary, and Webmaster since the fall of 2010. Verhelst was also named the National Junior College Athletic Association - Region 4 Athletic Communications Director and Webmaster in April of 2015. In the fall of 2021, he was selected to serve on the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) IT Feedback committee. Verhelst has also served on the University of Wisconsin Fan Advisory Board, the Group Health Cooperative member advisory board, and the Madison Sports Hall of Fame Club executive board.

Before joining the department in 2000, Verhelst was a Marketing Director and swim coach for the Badger Aquatics Club. Before that, he served as the Public Relations Assistant for the Wisconsin Sports Development Corporation, which hosted events such as Badger State Games and the Wisconsin Ironman.

As a student-athlete, Verhelst had a successful swimming career. He was a six-time high school All-American, a seven-time event state champion, and a two-time team state champion as a high school swimmer at Madison Memorial High School. Verhelst attended NCAA Division I University of Wisconsin on a swimming scholarship. While at Wisconsin, he earned Academic All-Big Ten honors and a GTE Scholar Athlete award. Verhelst graduated from the University of Wisconsin in the spring of 1999 with a bachelor's degree in Marketing and Sociology.

After his swimming career, Verhelst began coaching and enjoyed giving back to the sport he loves. For 23 years, Verhelst served as the head swim coach at Parkcrest Swim & Tennis Club. At Parkcrest, he coached over 150 kids from ages 5-18. In addition to Parkcrest, Verhelst had a successful 14-year high school coaching career, during which his teams at Madison Edgewood (1998-1999) and Madison Memorial (2000-2011) compiled an overall record of 115-12-1, winning nine conference titles and two state titles. Verhelst coached many All-Americans and received Wisconsin Coach of the Year honors four times and National Federation of High Schools Coach of the Year honors twice. Verhelst has officiated swimming & diving for many years, serving as the President of the Southwest Swim Officials Association. He officiated the 2022 Big Ten Women's Swimming & Diving Championship.

Verhelst has contributed to several high-profile events, including serving as the assistant website coordinator to the 2000 USA Swimming Phillips 66 National Swimming Championship, and having athletic communication and media responsibilities at the 2002 NCAA Men's Division I Midwest Basketball Regional and the 2006 NCAA Division I Frozen Four. Verhelst currently serves as the webmaster for the Madison Sports Hall of Fame Club and the Wisconsin Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association. He is a member of the following organizations... Madison Sports Hall of Fame Club, Southwest Swimming Officials Association (SWSOA), National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA), National Association of Two-Year Collegiate Directors (NATYCCA), and College Sports Communicators.

Outside of his job at the college, Verhelst is involved in coaching and officiating. He loves spending as much time as possible with his two daughters, Alexa and Maya, and wife, Paige.