Grubbs is in his 26th year at Hardin-Simmons University and was promoted to associate athletic director for external relations in September 2023.
He continues to provide sport coverage for the football, baseball and golf programs while assuming additional administrative responsibilities. Those duties include revamping the Cowboy Club and strengthening relationships with former players. Grubbs has transitioned day-to-day operations of the athletic communications office but continues to oversee the department and also administers the HSU Athletic Hall of Fame.
Grubbs has overseen two trendsetting initiatives among Division III athletic communications departments. In 2001, HSU became the first Division III institution in the nation to partner with a sport-specific website vendor when it selected CSTV. After 11 years with PrestoSports, HSU transitioned to industry leader SIDEARM Sports. HSU was also the first Division III school to add live statistics to its website in 2000. Both initiatives are now standard across collegiate athletics.
Grubbs regularly broadcasts HSU athletic events online and added the Hooyah Podcast, a weekly podcast covering Hardin-Simmons Athletics, in the fall of 2025.
During his career, Grubbs has promoted 148 All-Americans and 56 CSC/CoSIDA Academic All-Americans. HSU teams have won 79 conference championships during his tenure, while 118 teams and numerous individuals have advanced to NCAA postseason competition. He has also promoted 178 American Southwest Conference players or position players of the year.
Grubbs has successfully publicized several national award winners, including three national players of the year: Kendra Anderson (women’s basketball), Ashley Huston (women’s track and field), and Kenne Kessler (women’s soccer). HSU is the only institution in the ASC to produce a Honda Award winner, a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete and multiple NCAA Woman of the Year finalists (four). He has also promoted three CoSIDA National Academic All-Americans of the Year. During his tenure, HSU has led the ASC in academic and athletic All-Americans and NCAA Postgraduate Scholars. His publicity efforts have resulted in HSU student-athletes appearing on SportsCenter Top Plays and/or College Football GameDay 12 times.
An active member of CoSIDA, Grubbs serves on the publications committee and previously completed a three-year term as national chair. He was elected to the Division III SIDA Board of Directors for a three-year term by vote of the region’s sports information directors. He also served two three-year terms on the NCAA Statistics Committee, helping oversee statistical rules and regulations nationwide.
Grubbs has served, or currently serves, as a national top 25 voter for men’s and women’s soccer, football and baseball. He has also served on All-America selection committees for men’s and women’s soccer, women’s basketball, football and baseball. In addition, he has served on NCAA regional advisory committees for men’s soccer (two terms), women’s soccer and women’s basketball (two terms).
In addition to his athletic department responsibilities, Grubbs serves on the Hardin-Simmons student publications committee, has been a sponsor for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and represents HSU on the Abilene Sports Alliance Committee. He also developed Hardin-Simmons’ relationship with Special Olympics, with HSU hosting a Special Olympics track meet each spring for the past 12 years, excluding the COVID-19 year.
Grubbs earned a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Oklahoma State University in 1999 and a master’s degree in sports and recreation management from Hardin-Simmons in 2002.
He began his career as a student at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Junior College under longtime sports information director Monty Franks. Grubbs later spent four years at Oklahoma State, serving as the primary contact for cross country, women’s tennis, wrestling and baseball. He became the first undergraduate student to serve as the main contact for both wrestling and baseball at OSU. During his time there, he worked numerous Big 12 and NCAA events, was mentored by Steve Buzzard, Mike Strauss, Michael Noteware, the late Lee Eiland and Will Hancock, learned from Hall of Famer Bo Carter, and spent time working with the Southland Conference under Bruce Ludlow before joining Hardin-Simmons.
Originally from Fletcher, Oklahoma, Grubbs has been married to the former Lori Plumbtree for 28 years. She has enjoyed a long career as a college administrator. They have one daughter, Lynlee, a December magna cum laude graduate of Oklahoma State, who is currently pursuing an MBA at Hardin-Simmons.
