Dr. Sun Kang Joins Sports Management Department
Kody Smith
Dr. Sun Kang is one of the newest additions to the Manchester University family, now teaching sport management and marketing courses. Kang is originally from California, with his family originating in Korea. He has been married for two years, and the couple now lives in North Manchester. Kang earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Davis. However, his extensive journey to Manchester took a few unexpected turns, primarily because he did not major in business while attending college.
“I was an art major in college,” Kang stated. “I never thought I would be here teaching sport management.”
He worked for a golf company following graduation. There, he became interested in pursuing a career in the sports industry, so he moved on to higher education to expand his knowledge on the subject. Kang received an MBA in Sport Management from Barry University, which he followed up with a doctorate in Education Leadership and Development from the University of Louisville.
“When I began my PhD at the University of Louisville, I just wanted to do more research on the field,” Kang said. “It became more apparent, the longer I stayed in the program, that it would give me teaching opportunities. Sharing the knowledge on the subject that I have with others is something of value to me.”
Kang became determined that he would land a job in the teaching field; knowing this was his new passion. Manchester was one of the many places to offer him a job, and he was impressed with the environment that surrounded the university. “When I first came here to interview, I felt like the learning environment was well established,” he said. “I felt very welcomed here as soon as I walked in the doors, and the small school offers smaller class sizes and allows one-on-one interactions with my students to share values and knowledge more effectively.”
The sport management field intrigued Kang because of the different disciplines that follow the studies, creating a challenge that is fun to teach. “Sports management is not just sports,” Kang said. “It is a business, entertainment and sports. It is multi-segmented, which makes the industry super-competitive.”
Because of the overlap with business and marketing majors, the sport management students are in a competition to land jobs, which Kang looks forward to helping them win. “My goal has always been to find the perfect fit for a student in terms of a career field,” he said. “Every student has large dreams, such as becoming an athletic director or a general manager, and that does not just happen overnight. Helping the student set up a path to reach that dream is difficult, but will be rewarding in the long run.
The Sport Management field’s business orientation, not necessarily the sports aspect, is what originally intrigued Kang. “I played recreational sports growing up, but never really followed it,” he said.
“Involvement in sports did not really come into play for me until I started working in the industry. After working in the sport business, you really get a better view of what opportunities there are.”
Kang is very pleased to have joined Manchester University’s community. “Everyone in the sport management department is very friendly, and I have enjoyed the connections I have made in my first year on campus," he said.