The Los Angeles Chargers have named Josh Rupprecht Vice President of Public Relations.
Rupprecht, 37, comes to the Chargers from the UCLA Athletic Department, where he served as Senior Associate Athletic Director for Communications. Prior to his time with UCLA, Rupprecht spent 13 years (2000-13) with the Los Angeles Lakers in the team's public relations department.
"Josh has spent his entire career in Los Angeles as a member of two storied sports institutions," said A.G. Spanos, President - Business Operations, "He has a wealth of communications and digital media knowledge, has worked alongside numerous high profile athletes and coaches, and possesses important football experience."
John Spanos, President - Football Operations added: "It became clear throughout this process that Josh has earned a level of respect and trust from both the media and his peers that is well beyond his years. We are confident that he is a perfect fit for our team and are excited to welcome him to the Chargers family."
With day-to-day oversight of all media relations efforts pertaining to Chargers ownership, front office personnel, coaching staff and players, Rupprecht will also help build continuity between the team's public relations and digital departments while assisting with the franchise's integration into the Los Angeles market.
Prior to joining the Chargers, Rupprecht spent four years as a member of Athletic Director Dan Guerrero's senior management team at UCLA, heading all communications and media relations efforts, overseeing all social, video and web content across the department's various digital platforms, and serving as UCLA Athletics' primary spokesperson.
A trusted advisor on all communications matters to Guerrero, Head Football Coach Jim Mora and Head Men's Basketball Coach Steve Alford, as well as numerous high-profile student-athletes, Rupprecht also spearheaded the formation of Bruin Films and the digital and social media departments under the communications umbrella, while consulting on broader athletic department and campus-wide initiatives.
Prior to UCLA, Rupprecht was with the Los Angeles Lakers' public relations department. During his tenure with the team, where he began as an intern, he served as a primary press contact within the department, collaborated with team officials and players on overall messaging, consulted on and managed various media and crisis situations, and spent 10 years on the road with the team, managing media requests, player appearances and the release of team information. Over that span, the Lakers made six trips to the NBA Finals and won four NBA Championships.
A Southern California native, Rupprecht is a 2001 graduate of Pepperdine University, where he earned bachelor's degrees in both public relations and advertising.
He will start with the Chargers on April 10, 2017.
