October 10, 2024
The Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA) has named Evan Lepler the new Director of Broadcast Strategy for the league. Known as the “Voice of Ultimate,” Evan has been the lead play-by-play commentator for the UFA since 2014. This new position solidifies his role inside the broadcast booth, but also provides Evan more oversight into league broadcast and content strategies. In addition, Ryan Pierce has been promoted to Vice President of Sponsorship & Communication and Daniel Cohen to Director of Marketing & Creative.
“Broadcasting the biggest games in ultimate over the past decade has been the thrill of a lifetime,” said Lepler. “Our league has grown so much since 2014, but I know there’s still a ton of work to do. And while I have always felt like a part of the UFA family over the past decade, this new position will allow me to continue to call games while also working directly with teams across the league to improve our product for fans everywhere. Furthermore, I’m excited to play a key role in content strategy and distribution. Overall, I’m just super grateful to everyone with the UFA, especially new Commissioner Tim DeByl, and the 2025 season cannot get here soon enough!”
Lepler has narrated many of the most memorable and iconic moments in the league's history, including each of the past 10 UFA Championship games. He’s also been a primary contributor to the UFA’s news and analysis arm, providing fans a detailed and comprehensive perspective on all the noteworthy updates, storylines, and developments across the league. Evan also broadcasts several other sports, including college football and college basketball, for regional and national outlets. Over the past 10 years, his play-by-play has aired on ESPN, ACC Network, FOX Sports, CBS, NBC, The CW, and Bally Sports. A 2007 graduate of Wake Forest University, he started playing ultimate as a freshman and captained the school's club team during his junior and senior seasons. Originally from Sharon, Mass., Evan resides in Winston-Salem, N.C., with his wife, Caleigh, and two daughters, Bennett and Caden.
Ryan Pierce has also been promoted to Vice President of Sponsorship & Communication. In addition to his previous responsibilities of overseeing revenue growth for all league products and managing corporate communications, Ryan will lead the UFA’s strategic global partnerships. Previously, he worked with the National Basketball Association’s Orlando Magic, Pebble Beach Resorts, PGA TOUR and United States Tennis Association. Ryan also operated his own marketing and public relations agency Smuthy. He currently resides in northern California with his wife Maegen and three daughters Saoirse, Ella and Navy.
Now the Director of Marketing & Creative, Daniel Cohen has held various roles in the league since 2019, including leading the creative rebrand of UFA, acting as the primary marketing liaison to all 24 teams, and managing digital marketing strategies for core products. He’s also a frequent content contributor for the UFA and previously worked as an analyst for Pro Football Focus and Director of Marketing & Gameday Operations for the UFA’s Chicago Union. Daniel attended Washington University in St. Louis, currently lives in Chicago, and also manages a popular YouTube channel featuring sports graphic design tutorials.
In 2024, the UFA set league records in attendance, viewership and global growth, culminating on the field with the Minnesota’s Wind Chill exhilarating run to the UFA Championship title in Salt Lake City. The 2025 UFA season is slated to begin in April.
