(February 7, 2020) Clever class scheduling has allowed Cullen Holt to accept a full-season Minor League Baseball job though he is still in college. An STAA member, Holt is the new Director of Broadcasting/Media Relations for the Augusta GreenJackets.
Augusta is the Class-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.
“I strategically took all of my major classes [at Cal Baptist University] in my first two and-a-half years so that I would be able to switch to online classes if a good career opportunity came up,” says Holt. “I’m finishing my degree online and will graduate in December.”
Holt learned of the GreenJackets opening in an STAA job leads email and applied almost immediately. “I had been impressed with the one-of-a-kind branding in Augusta for a couple years and followed the opening of beautiful SRP Park in 2018,” he recalls. “I honestly didn’t think I had the best chance of landing the position, but the interview process went well and I could not be more thankful that the GreenJackets are giving me this opportunity.”
Scheduling his classes to have job market flexibility during his senior year has long been the plan for the forward-thinking Holt. “I have always had the mindset that any competitive edge you can get in this industry goes a long way,” he says. “The goal for me was to become the No. 1 voice of an affiliated baseball team before graduation in the hopes of getting a head start on others who may not seriously pursue those positions until after graduation.”
One of Holt’s best pieces of advice for the sports broadcasting job market is to always be improving your approach and presentation. “There are so many different factors that go into whether or not a team hires a broadcaster, so you really have to continue to improve and present yourself as best you can until you find the right fit,” he recommends.
“That being said, a couple of things that seemed to go over well [with Augusta] were my research and my understanding of the position. Demonstrating that I had done my homework on the GreenJackets during the interview process likely told them a lot about what kind of professional I am. Also, understanding that live play-by-play is just one aspect of the position and one aspect of my skillset may have set me apart from other candidates.”
Holt joined STAA in 2018. “Like pretty much everything in my proverbial sportscasting toolbox, I learned of STAA from other broadcasters. [Cal State University Northridge Voice] Ghizal Hasan was the first to tell me about STAA,” Holt remembers. “And then seeing how many other broadcasters in the area were utilizing STAA’s resources to further their careers sealed the deal for me.
“In sports media, the ‘who you know’ can often be more important than the ‘what you know’ and [STAA Owner] Jon Chelesnik is a great person to know. STAA’s job leads point you in the right direction and having Jon as a resource is invaluable.”
A native of Riverside, CA, Holt has broadcast summer collegiate baseball each of the past two summers. Last year he was with the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters of the Northwoods League. There, he gained a better understanding of how a team interacts with the local community. “The Rafters understand exactly what kind of content engages their fans and they have a committed fan base to prove it.
“I’m looking forward to bringing that knowledge to a fantastic baseball community in Augusta,” Holt says excitedly.”
(Visit Cullen’s website).