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 was promoted to Associate Athletic Director. On July 1, 2022, Verhelst assumed the role of Interim Director of Athletics, becoming the fourth in school history. The interim tag was removed in May 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,Â
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 asÂ
North Central Community College Conference (N4C) Athletic Communications Director, Secretary, and Webmaster since the fall of 2010. Verhelst was also named theÂ
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 as a member of the UW Fan Advisory Board and on the Madison Sports Hall of Fame Club executive board. He currently is a member of the Group Health Cooperative member advisory board.
Before joining the department in 2000, Verhelst was a Marketing Director and swim coach for the Badger Aquatics Club. Prior to 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, seven-time event state champion, and 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 degree in Marketing and Sociology.
After his swimming career, Verhelst began coaching and enjoyed giving back to the sport he loves. For the past 20+ years, Verhelst has served as the head swim coach at Parkcrest Swim & Tennis Club. At Parkcrest, he coaches over 120 kids from ages 5-18. In addition to Parkcrest, Verhelst had a successful fourteen year high school coaching career in which his teams at Madison Edgewood (1998-1999) and Madison Memorial (2000-2011) compiled a 115-12-1 overall record, 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 recently officiated the 2022 Big Ten Women's Swimming & Diving Championship.
Verhelst has contributed to several high profile events including serving as the assistant web site coordinator to the 2000 USA Swimming Phillips 66 National Swimming Championship and had 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 theÂ
Madison Sports Hall of Fame Club and theÂ
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 Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
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.
