JERSEY CITY, N.J. — The New Jersey City University department of athletics is proud to announce the addition of two new members of the support staff. Hannah Hirst, a veteran of the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC), joins as the Assistant Athletic Communications Directors. Jason Battle '23, a three-year member and team captain of the NJCU men's basketball program, becomes the department's next Strength & Conditioning Coach and will also serve on head coach Marc Brown's staff as an assistant.

Hirst, no stranger to the most competitive public conference in Division III, will assist in leading the athletic communications department's gameday operations, broadcasting, traditional sports information duties, content creation, administrative management and more. Most recently, she served as the Sports Information Graduate Assistant at fellow NJAC institution William Paterson University for the past two seasons, serving as a primary contact for multiple sports, managed the department's social media portfolio, assisted in home game event management, athletic website operations and more.

"The addition of Hannah Hirst will continue to elevate our already stellar athletic communications offerings," said NJCU Director of Athletics, Robert Cole. "I anticipate our digital and print media to take the next step in supporting and celebrating our student-athletes. Her resume and breadth of experience in the conference set her apart and we are extremely excited to have her on our team."

Hirst earned her Master of Science in Sports Administration from William Paterson in 2024 and also attended another conference institution, Ramapo College, as an undergraduate, earning an accounting degree in 2020. While with the Roadrunners, she served as a sports information student assistant, assisting with broadcasting, statistics and promotions. Additionally, Hirst has served in media relations roles at the Barclays Center for both the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship and the Atlantic 10 Conference Men's Basketball Championship.

Battle, prior to joining the athletics staff with the Green and Gold, had been serving as the CEO of Train's2Go since 2021, an AAU basketball program children from third grade to 11th. He recruited, trained, mentored and managed all levels within the organization and traveled all over the country for various tournaments. Battle also served as an assistant coach with College Achieve Public Schools in Asbury Park, N.J., for the 2023-24 season.

"Jason Battle has been a constant presence in our building since he got here as a junior," said Cole. "His familiarity with NJCU, the athletic department and campus community makes him an invaluable resource to our student-athletes. His experience as a NJAC student-athlete provides the background needed to prepare our students physically and mentally for the rigors of one of the best conferences in the NCAA."

Battle graduated from NJCU with a degree in Exercise Science following a three-year playing career with NJCU from 2020-23. He also played two seasons for New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) rival Ramapo College from 2018-20. Overall, he amassed 893 points (8.35 ppg), 321 assists (3.00 apg), 288 rebounds (2.69 rpg) and 190 steals (1.78 spg) over 107 games played during his NCAA Division III career, including a .349 shooting percentage. A 2018 graduate of Roselle Catholic High School, Battle was captain of a team that won the Union County, New Jersey State Section and State Championships his senior season.