University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Staff Directory
- Title:
- Assistant Director of Fan Experience
- Email:
Tristen Ruesch joined the University of Pittsburgh athletic department in May 2026 as Assistant Director of Fan Experience. In this role, Ruesch oversees all in-venue entertainment for Pitt volleyball.
Prior to joining the Panthers, Ruesch spent three years at Ole Miss, where he helped set the single-game and season-long student attendance records for women's basketball, single-game and season-long attendance records for softball, and helped drive multiple revenue records across both sports as an Assistant Director of Marketing and Fan Experience.
Ruesch was a graduate assistant his first two years at Ole Miss, where he received his master's in integrated marketing communications while also leading marketing efforts for Ole Miss volleyball, which saw a 20% increase in attendance under his purview.
A 2023 graduate of the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor of Science in sport management and strategic communications, Ruesch got his start in athletics as an intern with Gopher Sports Marketing, where he assisted with women's hockey, wrestling, women's basketball and football. He was also president of the Sport Management Association.
Ruesch was born in Buffalo, Minn., but grew up in Crooks, S.D. He currently lives in West View with his wife, Martina, and attends Redeemer Lutheran Church in Oakmont.
